The only thing John is truly good at and the only thing he needs to be good at is playing the media:
You don't have to provide real proof that your life was in danger from trolls if you say it convincingly enough and your story is sympathetic; you don't have to know anything about tech if you act like you do and repeat yourself enough; you don't have to be a good writer if your connections let you guest-write an editorial for their popular website; you don't have to be a successful politician if your semi-famous SJW friends are willing to shill and write articles about you and you have a BS reason prepared about a rigged, misogynist system that cheated you, who should have won, for when you lose; you don't have to provide proof you're a woman of you never address allegations; and so on.