Democrats Fall Behind Trump and Musk in the Online Information Contest
A Texas lawmaker criticized the Democratic reaction to Trump, stating that it is “too slow and too tepid and not meeting the moment.”
TroibNews 
Last November, the Department of Government Efficiency established its own account on X, quickly gathering 4 million followers by sharing updates on contract cancellations and bureaucratic reductions. Meanwhile, Elon Musk has been particularly active on the platform he owns, promoting his own perspectives via an algorithmic structure he manages.
In contrast, the Democratic National Committee launched a rapid response account in January, which has attracted about 121,000 followers—significantly fewer than DOGE’s audience. Concurrently, Democrats conducted traditional rallies outside USAID and Treasury buildings, where Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, faced ridicule on late-night television as well as from some within his party after leading a chant of “We will win!”
This reaction from Democrats has been described as hesitant in light of a surge of pro-DOGE messaging. Interviews with over a dozen Democratic officials and strategists revealed a shared concern: their responses are taking place on the wrong platforms. Schumer’s rally, where he held a carton of eggs, represented a conventional demonstration for local and national media, which many believe fails to address the overwhelming tide of MAGA messaging and misinformation circulating online.
Chi Ossé, a Democratic New York City councilman who has cultivated an online following through his short-form, explanatory content, commented on the disparity, stating, “You don’t see those folks anywhere.”
Ossé noted, “Trump and Republicans have been able to grasp different types of media in how to get their message across that impacts society as a whole, and I do believe that Dem leadership is missing the mark, not only in the election but in our resistance 2.0. We need to be active in every medium.”
As Trump began his second term, Democrats found themselves overwhelmed. The DNC’s rapid response account is only one-fifth the size of @RapidResponse47, the Trump White House’s account. Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, has around one million followers, but Musk’s presence looms large with over 217 million followers and a prolific posting history. Some Democratic organizations like MoveOn.Org and the Human Rights Campaign have scaled back their activity on X, with some opting to switch to Bluesky, a less prominent alternative with a smaller user base.
Conservative figures dominate the podcasting space on platforms like Spotify, with five of the top ten slots held by them; in contrast, only Ezra Klein from the New York Times ranks for liberals. When Ben Shapiro posts on Facebook, he attracts 9.4 million followers, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has about 1.8 million.
Three months post the November elections and three weeks into Trump’s presidency, many Democrats concede they are losing a lopsided battle against the president and his MAGA supporters, who have been particularly effective in online arenas. There remains no agreement regarding solutions to their rapid response issues or accountability among the party, according to several Democratic sources.
“Republicans are running circles around Democrats for how to connect to the culture today,” remarked John Della Volpe, director of Harvard University’s youth poll and an expert on Gen Z. He noted that even in discussions following the elections, people are asking questions indicative of cultural disconnection, like “Who is Theo Von?” He explained that regardless of the strength of their message, Democrats struggle to make connections within modern American culture when they do not engage in existing spaces.
The challenge of effectively reaching voters via non-traditional channels—emphasizing platforms like TikTok over MSNBC or YouTube instead of traditional print media—is not a new one for Democrats. An analysis from Navigator Research indicated that a majority of “swing voters” and new Trump supporters primarily sourced their news from social media and alternative formats, such as podcasts, while conventional broadcast and cable news held significantly less appeal for these demographics. Additionally, about half of Kamala Harris’ supporters got their news from broadcast TV.
“Republicans’ ability to speak into the ecosystem is sharper, more precise and Democrats are behind in that,” stated Dan Sena, a seasoned Democratic strategist and former executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Sena highlighted that Republicans benefit from a more expansive media framework that allows their narratives to travel seamlessly from influencer videos to Musk’s X, to Joe Rogan’s podcast, and finally to Fox News, achieving a wide reach.
“There is a fight for the attention economy, and today the Republicans are winning. No doubt,” he added.
Sena cautioned that expecting the Democratic National Committee, DCCC, or related organizations to provide solutions is unrealistic; he believes the necessary advancements will come from candidates themselves improving their internal communications as they approach the 2026 elections.
“The leadership vacuum IRL is causing a messaging vacuum online,” said Kyle Tharp, a progressive researcher tracking digital political trends through his substack, Chaotic Era. “Even though there are some bright spots, Democrats are still getting steamrolled online and there’s not much they can do about it because there’s not a single coordinating body or person to push an offensive message.”
“I don’t know how fixable that problem is right now,” Tharp remarked.
There are, however, notable Democrats who have made an impact online, like Ocasio-Cortez, who often garners significant attention through her Instagram live sessions and posts on X. Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress, frequently engages with Republicans on social media, as do Senators Chris Murphy and Brian Schatz.
Some Democrats are refining their messaging to garner more online attention, albeit with the potential risk of alienating certain voters. Recently, Rep. Robert Garcia shared a clip of himself on CNN referring to Musk as “a dick,” asserting that “what the American public wants is for us to actually bring weapons to this bar fight.”
Tim Miller, a former GOP strategist now hosting a podcast on The Bulwark—a site established by anti-Trump Republicans—argued, “They should be creating bait of their own. Be more aggressive, be more outlandish.” He believes Democrats should significantly increase their social media presence across various platforms.
Some evidence suggests that certain Democrats are indeed beginning to adapt. Progressive influencer Brian Tyler Cohen addressed Senate and House members at their meetings this week on effective social media engagement, according to two anonymous sources familiar with the discussions. Jeffries was a guest on Cohen’s show as well as Jon Stewart’s podcast.
Recently, nine Democratic senators participated in live interviews with Pod Save America, connecting from Schumer’s office. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Schatz featured on Adam Mockler’s YouTube show, while Sen. Cory Booker appeared on The David Pakman Show. The DNC has also hired the team behind the @KamalaHQ X account to spearhead its new @FactPostNews initiatives, making use of platforms like X, BlueSky, Threads, Instagram, and Facebook.
However, many Democrats acknowledge that such efforts remain the exception rather than the rule within the party. Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a 35-year-old who follows a similar social media strategy as Ossé, described the national Democratic response to Trump as “too slow and too tepid and not meeting the moment.”
“Just like the printing press or the radio or the TV, social media is now how we communicate and if we’re not adapting to this new environment, we’re not going to get heard,” Talarico warned. “If our party doesn't keep up, we’re going to be left behind.”
Max Fischer for TROIB News
In contrast, the Democratic National Committee launched a rapid response account in January, which has attracted about 121,000 followers—significantly fewer than DOGE’s audience. Concurrently, Democrats conducted traditional rallies outside USAID and Treasury buildings, where Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, faced ridicule on late-night television as well as from some within his party after leading a chant of “We will win!”
This reaction from Democrats has been described as hesitant in light of a surge of pro-DOGE messaging. Interviews with over a dozen Democratic officials and strategists revealed a shared concern: their responses are taking place on the wrong platforms. Schumer’s rally, where he held a carton of eggs, represented a conventional demonstration for local and national media, which many believe fails to address the overwhelming tide of MAGA messaging and misinformation circulating online.
Chi Ossé, a Democratic New York City councilman who has cultivated an online following through his short-form, explanatory content, commented on the disparity, stating, “You don’t see those folks anywhere.”
Ossé noted, “Trump and Republicans have been able to grasp different types of media in how to get their message across that impacts society as a whole, and I do believe that Dem leadership is missing the mark, not only in the election but in our resistance 2.0. We need to be active in every medium.”
As Trump began his second term, Democrats found themselves overwhelmed. The DNC’s rapid response account is only one-fifth the size of @RapidResponse47, the Trump White House’s account. Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, has around one million followers, but Musk’s presence looms large with over 217 million followers and a prolific posting history. Some Democratic organizations like MoveOn.Org and the Human Rights Campaign have scaled back their activity on X, with some opting to switch to Bluesky, a less prominent alternative with a smaller user base.
Conservative figures dominate the podcasting space on platforms like Spotify, with five of the top ten slots held by them; in contrast, only Ezra Klein from the New York Times ranks for liberals. When Ben Shapiro posts on Facebook, he attracts 9.4 million followers, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has about 1.8 million.
Three months post the November elections and three weeks into Trump’s presidency, many Democrats concede they are losing a lopsided battle against the president and his MAGA supporters, who have been particularly effective in online arenas. There remains no agreement regarding solutions to their rapid response issues or accountability among the party, according to several Democratic sources.
“Republicans are running circles around Democrats for how to connect to the culture today,” remarked John Della Volpe, director of Harvard University’s youth poll and an expert on Gen Z. He noted that even in discussions following the elections, people are asking questions indicative of cultural disconnection, like “Who is Theo Von?” He explained that regardless of the strength of their message, Democrats struggle to make connections within modern American culture when they do not engage in existing spaces.
The challenge of effectively reaching voters via non-traditional channels—emphasizing platforms like TikTok over MSNBC or YouTube instead of traditional print media—is not a new one for Democrats. An analysis from Navigator Research indicated that a majority of “swing voters” and new Trump supporters primarily sourced their news from social media and alternative formats, such as podcasts, while conventional broadcast and cable news held significantly less appeal for these demographics. Additionally, about half of Kamala Harris’ supporters got their news from broadcast TV.
“Republicans’ ability to speak into the ecosystem is sharper, more precise and Democrats are behind in that,” stated Dan Sena, a seasoned Democratic strategist and former executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Sena highlighted that Republicans benefit from a more expansive media framework that allows their narratives to travel seamlessly from influencer videos to Musk’s X, to Joe Rogan’s podcast, and finally to Fox News, achieving a wide reach.
“There is a fight for the attention economy, and today the Republicans are winning. No doubt,” he added.
Sena cautioned that expecting the Democratic National Committee, DCCC, or related organizations to provide solutions is unrealistic; he believes the necessary advancements will come from candidates themselves improving their internal communications as they approach the 2026 elections.
“The leadership vacuum IRL is causing a messaging vacuum online,” said Kyle Tharp, a progressive researcher tracking digital political trends through his substack, Chaotic Era. “Even though there are some bright spots, Democrats are still getting steamrolled online and there’s not much they can do about it because there’s not a single coordinating body or person to push an offensive message.”
“I don’t know how fixable that problem is right now,” Tharp remarked.
There are, however, notable Democrats who have made an impact online, like Ocasio-Cortez, who often garners significant attention through her Instagram live sessions and posts on X. Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress, frequently engages with Republicans on social media, as do Senators Chris Murphy and Brian Schatz.
Some Democrats are refining their messaging to garner more online attention, albeit with the potential risk of alienating certain voters. Recently, Rep. Robert Garcia shared a clip of himself on CNN referring to Musk as “a dick,” asserting that “what the American public wants is for us to actually bring weapons to this bar fight.”
Tim Miller, a former GOP strategist now hosting a podcast on The Bulwark—a site established by anti-Trump Republicans—argued, “They should be creating bait of their own. Be more aggressive, be more outlandish.” He believes Democrats should significantly increase their social media presence across various platforms.
Some evidence suggests that certain Democrats are indeed beginning to adapt. Progressive influencer Brian Tyler Cohen addressed Senate and House members at their meetings this week on effective social media engagement, according to two anonymous sources familiar with the discussions. Jeffries was a guest on Cohen’s show as well as Jon Stewart’s podcast.
Recently, nine Democratic senators participated in live interviews with Pod Save America, connecting from Schumer’s office. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Schatz featured on Adam Mockler’s YouTube show, while Sen. Cory Booker appeared on The David Pakman Show. The DNC has also hired the team behind the @KamalaHQ X account to spearhead its new @FactPostNews initiatives, making use of platforms like X, BlueSky, Threads, Instagram, and Facebook.
However, many Democrats acknowledge that such efforts remain the exception rather than the rule within the party. Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a 35-year-old who follows a similar social media strategy as Ossé, described the national Democratic response to Trump as “too slow and too tepid and not meeting the moment.”
“Just like the printing press or the radio or the TV, social media is now how we communicate and if we’re not adapting to this new environment, we’re not going to get heard,” Talarico warned. “If our party doesn't keep up, we’re going to be left behind.”
Max Fischer for TROIB News
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