Federal Election: Katherine Deves rolls out dramatic new slogan after stunning election, Waringah

Rejected Liberal candidate Katherine Deves has adopted an unusual slogan in the wake of her election defeat – ‘I am the storm’ – which appears to be inspired by a popular social media meme. 

The 44-year-old lawyer was selected by Scott Morrison to run against Independent MP Zali Steggall in the northern Sydney seat of Warringah, but her bid for office tanked after a series of her deleted transphobic tweets were unearthed.

Ms Deves gained just 32.4 per cent of the first preference vote during the federal election on Saturday, suffering a swing of minus 6.6 per cent.

The swing against her was lower than the first preference vote of 39 per cent gained in 2019 by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who held the seat for 25 years before he was shafted by Ms Steggall.

However, the mother-of-three is determined to maintain her new high profile, decreeing on the Sky News’ Outsiders program: ‘I am not going anywhere.

‘I would like to say to my detractors that when they thought I could not withstand the storm, that I am the storm.’

Katherine Deves is pictured next to her own campaign poster. She lost to Independent MP Zali Steggall

Ms Deves repeated the dramatic slogan on her Facebook page: ‘I am the storm.’

Asked for an explanation of her new catchphrase, Ms Deves told Daily Mail Australia: ‘This is a quote I admire and have always been inspired by: “They whispered to her ‘You cannot withstand the storm’, and she whispers back ‘I am the storm”.’

Ms Deves’ favourite quote appears to be a line from a series of popular memes attributed to an unknown author: ‘Fate whispers to the warrior, ‘you cannot withstand the storm’. The warrior whispers back, ‘I am the storm’.’

It has been remastered with a female emphasis – swapping the word ‘warrior’ to ‘her or ‘she’ – and is embossed on an extensive range of homewares and T-shirts sold on bespoke arts and crafts e-commerce website, Etsy.

Katherine Deves told Sky News on Sunday (pictured) ‘I am the storm’ and said she would run for the seat of Warringah next election

‘I am the storm’ has been the inspiration for many memes, with a distinctly female twist (pictured)

The phrase features on mugs, T-shirts and crafts on popular e-commerce site, Etsy

Prior to the election campaign, Ms Deves launched an unrelenting campaign against transwomen competing against biological women in sports competitions.

She used Twitter to make unfounded claims that half the population of transgender women are sex offenders, and to compare her Protect Women’s Sport movement to Germans standing up against the Holocaust during World War II.

The would-be politician also asserted that many trans kids and teens are on the autism spectrum, linked cross-dressing to sexual violence and serial killers, and asserted that surrogacy is a ‘human rights violation’.

‘Women’s bodies are not vehicles for a vanity project,’ she previously said in a now-deleted social media post in response to tweet by Pete Buttigieg – the first openly gay U.S. presidential candidate, who announced the birth of his twin girls, via surrogacy.

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Ms Deves’ name was drawn as fifth candidate on the ballot card in April. She is pictured leaving the Australian Electoral Commission office after the ballot draw

Throughout her failed campaign, Ms Deves spent a fair amount of time dodging journalists who tried to ask where her vested interest in the transgender community and women’s sport came from.

Ms Deves deleted her Twitter account and blocked reporters from her social media accounts – speaking only to talk to SBS, 2GB radio, and News Corp about her polarising beliefs.

When speaking with News Corp in April, Ms Deves apologised for the wording of the tweets.

‘My advocacy for the rights and safety of women and girls is well known, and I stand by my desire to ensure we protect the safety of women and girls and our entire community.

Ms Deves is pictured at a restaurant on election weekend with her husband David, and her three daughters

‘However, the language I used was not acceptable, and for that I apologise.

‘My commitment is to continue listening to the views of people in Warringah, and the broader community – I will do this in a respectful way.’ 

Her apology led her opponents to hammer her with vile insults.

While speaking with Sky News on Sunday, Ms Deves partly attributed her election loss to the ‘lefty-lovey media’.

She accused the Liberal party of silencing her due to a fear of the ‘lefty-lovey press’ and the ‘Twitterati’.

‘I wanted to make my daughters proud, I wanted to stand up for the people of Australia who were asking me to keep going.’