Skip to main content

Is the Twitterverse more #WithHer or on the #TrumpTrain?

tech people influencers follow twitter social media impact on 2016 election trump cliton
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The two candidates for the United States presidency may be duking it out in the battleground states in the last three days before the election, but their supporters are turning Twitter into a battleground of their own. This election cycle has seen Twitter come alive as a political tool (largely thanks to Donald Trump’s penchant for the social media platform), and a new report from Abodo looks at the digital climate over the last few weeks leading up to the historic election.

As part of its “Best Places to Live” series, the apartment hunting app looked at 426,000 tweets for hashtags related to controversial political issues to find where folks were “voicing support or angst for presidential candidates.” Because if you’re moving to a new ‘hood, you might want to agree with your neighbors’ front lawn signs. 

Recommended Videos

According to Abodo’s findings, “#NeverTrump was mentioned in a greater volume of tweets than #NeverHillary — but not necessarily as a favorite.” Perhaps the most anti-Trump states were Maine, followed by New Jersey, New York, and Nevada. #NeverHillary was prevalent in swing-state Iowa, but as Abodo pointed out, “even her top-tweeting state was no match for the anti-Trump noise; the volume of tweets related to the leading locations against each candidate revealed more than a 74 percent difference.”

In terms of more positive feelings, Abodo’s results suggested more folks are with #WithHer than on the #TrumpTrain. The app reported, “Clinton had a greater volume of tweets sent her way,” with Colorado boasting the largest numbers of tweets in support of Hillary. Vermont, the state of Clinton’s formal rival Bernie Sanders, also expressed their love for Hillary via Twitter. Trump, on the other hand, saw “far fewer Twitter postings containing #TrumpTrain,” though his popularity is most apparent in Mississippi and Michigan.

Of course, hashtags are not actual votes, so don’t stop at Twitter — get yourself to a polling station on November 8, and turn those tweets into ballots.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Twitter goes after ‘copycat’ app Threads
A stylized composite of the Twitter logo.

With Meta’s new Threads app having picked up 30 million users on its first day, it’s little wonder Twitter is upset.

In fact, it’s so put out by Meta’s very similar app that it’s now threatening to sue the company, accusing it of violating Twitter’s intellectual property rights.

Read more
The 10 big ways that Threads is totally different from Twitter
A series of mobile screenshots showing off the Threads app on a black background.

Threads is here and already has millions of sign-ups, no doubt due to the ease of its joining process, its immediate availability for both Android and iOS users, and the fact that its user interface shares lots of familiar features with its main competitor, Twitter.

But what about the differences between the two microblogging platforms? How has Threads already distinguished itself from Twitter? Like many Twitter users, you might be hungry for an alternative and are wondering how Meta's app differs from Twitter and if those differences are worth signing up for and learning how to navigate yet another social media app.

Read more
Twitter’s head of trust and safety resigns
A stylized composite of the Twitter logo.

Twitter’s Ella Irwin has resigned as the company’s head of trust and safety, confirming her departure to Reuters on Thursday.

Irwin stepped into the role following the departure of Yoel Roth in November, shortly after Elon Musk acquired the business for $44 billion.

Read more