what does the "cope" mean here

It looks like a new usage of cope, both as a verb and a noun:

"Cope" has become a ubiquitous term after the election to describe the reactions of Republicans who deny or are emotional about Trump's loss. It's a term that occupies every part of speech, somehow, being both a verb to describe what someone else is doing, and also a noun used to refer to the genre of humor.

(vice.com)

The sense of cope is probably derived from the following connotation used in psychology:

Coping strategies are the behaviors, thoughts, and emotions that you use to adjust to the changes that occur in your life. There are many coping styles that people use, and some may prove more effective than others, depending on the nature of the stressful situation and the person who is employing them.

(semel.ucla.edu)