To say that many people on the left are not handling President-elect Donald Trump's victory particularly well would be an understatement, but some have taken their deranged hatred for the former president and those who support him to a rather extreme level.

One of those is Laura Helmuth, the now former editor-in-chief of Scientific American, who was compelled to resign amid sharp backlash to an explicit and hate-filled Election Night rant against Trump voters, the New American reported.

Helmuth later apologized for and deleted the posts, but the damage was already done to her reputation and the once-prestigious publication she ran for several years.

Lashing out against Trump voters

On Election Night, as the results rolled in and President-elect Trump racked up wins in states across the country, Helmuth took to her Bluesky social media account and wrote, "Every four years I remember why I left Indiana (where I grew up) and remember why I respect the people who stayed and are trying to make it less racist and sexist. The moral arc of the universe isn’t going to bend itself."

A short time later, she continued in a separate post, "Solidarity to everybody whose meanest, dumbest, most bigoted high-school classmates are celebrating early results because f--k them to the moon and back."

Helmuth followed that up with a post that said, "I apologize to younger voters that my Gen X is full of f--king fascists."

The furious posts lashing out against the voters who supported Trump sparked a backlash against her and, given her role as a purportedly objective journalist, led to demands that she resign her position at Scientific American. Helmuth responded by deleting the posts a couple of days later, but not before they were captured with screenshots and saved for eternity.

Does the editor in chief of Scientific American seem like someone who is entirely dedicated to uncompromising scientific integrity?

Or does she seem like a political activist who has taken over a scientific institution? pic.twitter.com/mOOzE7SVbq

— The Rabbit Hole (@TheRabbitHole84) November 12, 2024

Posts deleted, apology issued

The blowback against Helmuth was presumably substantial because, in addition to deleting her several anti-Trump voter posts, she also posted an apology to her Bluesky account on Nov. 7 and said, "I made a series of offensive and inappropriate posts on my personal Bluesky account on election night, and I am sorry."

"I respect and value people across the political spectrum," she continued. "These posts, which I have deleted, do not reflect my beliefs; they were a mistaken expression of shock and confusion about the election results."

"These posts of course do not reflect the position of Scientific American or my colleagues. I am committed to civil communication and editorial objectivity," Helmuth added.

Resignation announced

It would appear that Helmuth's apology proved insufficient to quell the negative reaction her Election Night posts had invited, as about a week later after she deleted her rant and said she was sorry, Helmuth announced that she had parted ways with her publication and wrote, "I’ve decided to leave Scientific American after an exciting 4.5 years as editor in chief. I’m going to take some time to think about what comes next (and go birdwatching)."

The New York Post reported that according to the magazine's president, Kimberly Lau, Helmuth left of her own accord and wasn't fired, and said in a statement, "We wish her well for the future" as she also revealed that the search had begun for a new editor-in-chief.

As for where Helmuth might land in the future, that remains unclear, but according to her now-deleted LinkedIn page, she previously worked as an editor for the Smithsonian magazine, Slate, Science magazine, and the Washington Post, before joining Scientific American in 2020.