Eleanor Finch
Former US President Donald Trump has a history of using Twitter to criticise and attack his political opponents. While his tweets are not explicitly threatening, they have been shown to increase toxic and threatening speech among his followers. This presents a challenge for social media platforms, which generally protect elite speech to allow for public scrutiny. However, when such speech causes a rise in harmful speech, content moderation becomes difficult. Trump's tweets are part of a broader strategy to sideline, control, and intimidate his opponents, and he has boasted about his ability to pressure institutions like law firms and colleges to bend to his will.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of tweets | September 30, 2020; October 9, 2020 |
| Twitter handle | @realDonaldTrump |
| Targets | Tim Ryan of Ohio; Joe Biden; Governor of Michigan |
| Impact | Increase in toxic and threatening speech against targeted politicians |
| Content moderation | Tweets fell within platforms' content moderation policies |
| Power | Trump used the power of the federal government to intimidate and neuter opponents |
| Targets | Legal establishment; academia; cultural institutions; media; judiciary; Democratic Party; Congress; independent government oversight |
| Actions | Executive orders; bully pulpit; control of Justice Department and Cabinet agencies |
| Results | Paralyzed institutions; law firms cutting deals to avert threats; universities agreeing to demands that encroach on academic freedom |
| Methods | Refusal to commit to specific courses of action; endless stream of wild ideas; reducing shock effect |
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What You'll Learn
- Trump's tweets attacking politicians can lead to a rise in toxic and threatening speech
- Trump's tweets can inspire harmful speech among his followers
- Trump's tweets can be used as a tool to amplify his attacks on opponents
- Trump's tweets can be a challenge for platform content moderation teams
- Trump's tweets can be used to intimidate or neuter potential sources of opposition
Trump's tweets attacking politicians can lead to a rise in toxic and threatening speech
Trump's tweets attacking politicians have had a significant impact on the discourse of online platforms. While his tweets may not be overtly noxious or threatening, they have been shown to cause a rise in toxic and threatening speech from his followers. This phenomenon aligns with research indicating that offensive speech on the internet often arises in response to political events, with Trump's online supporters taking his tweets as a cue to launch attacks on his opponents.
Trump's online speech mirrors his approach at rallies and speeches, where he frequently targets political opponents with criticism and ad hominem attacks. This behaviour presents a challenge for social media platforms, which have committed to protecting elite speech to allow citizens to examine the public statements of political officials. However, when Trump's tweets, though not acutely harmful themselves, incite a surge in toxic and threatening speech, content moderation teams face a dilemma in maintaining civility on their platforms.
An example of this dynamic can be seen in a tweet by Trump on September 30, 2020, where he criticised Fox News for interviewing "failed Dems" like Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio. A subsequent analysis of tweets mentioning Ryan revealed a sudden increase in toxic speech, demonstrating the amplifying effect of Trump's online statements.
Trump's tweets are part of a broader pattern of utilising various tools at his disposal to intimidate or neuter potential sources of opposition. This includes leveraging the power of the federal government, executive orders, and his position in the White House to target law firms, colleges, the media, academia, and cultural institutions that oppose him. Trump's actions have been described as an attempt to "flood the zone with sh*t," overwhelming his opponents with a constant stream of wild ideas and reducing the impact of any individual scandal.
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Trump's tweets can inspire harmful speech among his followers
Trump's tweets attacking politicians can lead to a sudden increase in toxic and threatening speech. This is true even when the tweets themselves are not obviously threatening in nature and fall within platforms' content moderation policies. For example, in a tweet from September 30, 2020, Trump attacked three politicians, and mentions of these politicians containing threatening and toxic language rose after Trump's tweet.
Trump's ability to use Twitter to connect directly with his followers means that his anger and its targets are quickly adopted and internalized by large numbers of his followers. This is facilitated by memes, which replicate in the words and thoughts of his followers. As a result, Trump's tweets can make it difficult for his political opponents to respond, and can lead to a general darkening of the mood of his followers.
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Trump's tweets can be used as a tool to amplify his attacks on opponents
Trump's tweets have been a powerful tool for him to attack his political opponents and amplify his criticisms. His use of Twitter allows him to directly reach a large audience, including his supporters, and shape political discourse. While his tweets may not be overtly threatening, they often contain criticism and ad hominem attacks on his opponents. This form of elite speech influences the online conversation and can lead to an increase in toxic and threatening speech directed at the targets of his tweets.
For example, in one of his tweets, Trump criticised Fox News for interviewing "failed Dems" like Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio, who had an unsuccessful presidential run. He also mentioned "Sleepy Joe's" train, referring to President Joe Biden. Each mention of a politician's name can result in a surge of toxic tweets directed at them, as seen in a study that analysed the impact of Trump's tweets.
Trump's tweets are not just limited to criticism; he has also used them to float transgressive ideas, such as running for a third term as president, which his supporters have picked up on and repeated. This tactic allows him to gauge support for such ideas and indicate his loyalty to his base.
Furthermore, Trump's tweets are just one aspect of his broader strategy to punish and intimidate his opponents. He has used the power of the federal government to target various institutions, including law firms, academia, the media, and political opponents. By doing so, he aims to paralyse these institutions and prevent sources of opposition from challenging him effectively.
In conclusion, Trump's tweets serve as a tool to amplify his attacks on opponents and influence the broader political conversation. They provide a direct line to his supporters and can incite negative online discourse towards those he criticises. Combined with his actions as president, Trump's tweets are a powerful weapon in his political arsenal.
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Trump's tweets can be a challenge for platform content moderation teams
Trump's online speech, including his tweets, often involves criticizing and attacking his opponents. His tweets can serve as a cue for his online followers to launch their own attacks against these opponents, resulting in a surge of online harassment. While Trump's tweets may not be acutely harmful on their own, they can have a negative impact on the overall quality of online discourse and contribute to a rise in harmful speech.
This dynamic, where offensive speech on the internet arises in response to political events or the actions of public figures, has been recognized by researchers of online speech. The challenge for content moderation teams lies in defining and enforcing content moderation guidelines that balance the protection of elite speech with maintaining civil and safe online environments.
Trump's tweets, while not unique in inspiring harmful speech among his followers, pose a significant challenge for platform content moderation teams. The impact of his tweets on the online discourse and the behavior of his followers underscores the complex nature of content moderation, especially when dealing with speech from influential individuals that may not directly violate policies but can have indirect harmful consequences.
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Trump's tweets can be used to intimidate or neuter potential sources of opposition
Trump's tweets attacking politicians can lead to a sudden increase in toxic and threatening speech, presenting a challenge for content moderation teams. While the tweets themselves are not obviously threatening and fall within the platforms' content moderation policies, they do negatively impact the overall quality of online discourse. This builds on the literature emphasizing the role of elites in setting discursive norms, especially regarding harmful language.
Trump's tweets serve as a useful amplifying tool, as his online followers often take his tweets as a cue to attack the same opponents. This results in a nightmare of online harassment for the targeted individuals. Trump's tweets also indicate a willingness to test the limits of his powers and showcase the unprecedented breadth of actions he has taken against his perceived political and ideological opponents. Through executive orders and his bully pulpit, Trump's actions are paralyzing institutions that stand as pillars of America's independent civic society.
Trump's use of Twitter to dole out criticism and ad hominem attacks is a well-documented trend. His tweets often target politicians and political events, and while they may not be especially noxious by online standards, they can have a detrimental effect on the quality of online discourse and inspire harmful speech among his followers.
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Frequently asked questions
Trump's tweets attacking politicians, while not overtly threatening, can lead to a rise in toxic and threatening speech from his followers. This is a challenge for social media platforms to moderate, as they must balance the need for public scrutiny of elite speech with the negative impact it can have on the quality of online discourse.
Trump's tweets provide him with a useful amplifying tool and a way to "flood the zone with shit", as Steve Bannon described it. They can also serve as a cue for his online followers to attack his opponents, resulting in a nightmare of online harassment for those targeted.
Trump has used the power of the federal government to intimidate and neuter potential sources of opposition, including the legal establishment, academia, the media, and independent government oversight. He has also targeted law firms and universities, pressuring them to bend to his will or face consequences.
