Donald Trump has ensured that Twitter is now inextricably tied to the Presidency of the United States. Over the past 18 months, the social network has become central to political communication, alongside official campaign press releases. Trump, both as presidential candidate, and now as Commander in Chief, has used Twitter to instigate and participate in public debate on politics and policy; on a number of contentious issues, such as immigration, the public debate has turned into controversy. Now, Twitter has become a household name even for people who are not members of the social media network, as President Trump releases his 280-character statements which have become a common source of information for the mainstream media on Washington politics. CONT.
Corina Lacatus (U. of Edinburgh), LSE USAPP