Trump follows himself while Biden opts for Hailey Bieber and JLo. How two aging candidates attempt to adapt to the era of social media as they battle for the White House
While one candidate fawns over the left-wing celebrity, the other loves no one as much as himself.
Social media will be one of the key battlegrounds in this year’s presidential election between two men who each reached their peaks long before the internet age: Donald Trump, 78, and Joe Biden, 81.
And the Republican candidate has already delivered his first kick to the sitting president – on TikTok.
Trump only joined the Chinese app on June 2, amassing 5.7 million followers within the first four days. Biden’s campaign launched theirs in February and has limped to 363,200 followers in four months.
In Trump’s first video, he is introduced by UFC President Dana White and takes selfies with fans at a UFC match in New Jersey.
Meanwhile, Biden and Trump’s respective Instagram accounts reveal what we’ve long believed to be true about the couple.
While Trump has amassed 24.6 million followers, only 47 accounts are worth following him.
Trump reversed his support for a ban on TikTok in March while campaigning for president. Trump only joined the Chinese app on June 2 and has amassed 5.7 million followers within the first four days
While Biden’s campaign launched theirs in February, it has limped to 363,200 followers in four months. Campaign strategists suggest it would be difficult for Biden, 81, to find traction on TikTok, especially after signing a bill that could ban the platform
The vast majority of the stories he follows are of course related to himself.
Trump Store, Team Trump, Trump Organization, Trump Tower, various Trump hotels and golf courses, the list goes on.
Only his immediate family – well, the ones who support him to the hilt, like sons Eric and Donald Jr. – get a look, along with stalwart allies like Fox News’ Rudy Galliani and Sean Hannity.
Trump should also stay abreast of the latest climate change denial and deep state conspiracy by following his favorite alt-right media such as Breitbart, Townhall Media, Newsmax and Right Side Broadcasting Network.
But the latest Instagram trends show that ‘Teflon Don’s’ popularity is increasing – unlike Biden’s.
As predicted by political commentators, Trump’s conviction of 34 felony counts of falsified corporate data has given him a huge boost: his IG followers have increased by 271,290 in the past 30 days.
30 After the jury in New York found him guilty on May 30, his Instagram was boosted by 151,113 new arrivals.
Maybe Biden just likes a bit of showbiz gossip… why else would you follow Hailey Bieber or other celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Garner, Alex Rodriguez, The Rock or Lady Gaga?
Jennifer Lopez is another celeb Biden follows on Instagram
We can only guess what caught the sitting president’s attention on the Instagram account of bikini model Martha Hunt, a Victoria’s Secret Angel?
Maybe Biden will look at styling tips from Jonathan Van Ness, the grooming expert from the Netflix series Queer Eye?
Since officially hitting the campaign trail over the past 12 months, Trump has rapidly grown his following by as many as 350,000 followers per month.
His regular personal attacks on Instagram, showing a “Crooked” or “Sleepy” Joe falling asleep, forgetting his speeches or tripping over himself, are working.
Biden’s personal Instagram, @joebiden, is clearly causing many people to nod off.
It has 17.1 million followers, but in the last 30 days it has lost 22,620.
As of his inauguration in January 2021, his popularity on social media has leveled off.
Over the same period that Trump has added hundreds of thousands, Biden has consistently lost 40 to 50,000 per month, with October being a particularly terrible month in which he lost 123,000.
The vast majority of stories Trump follows are, of course, related to himself
Trump Store, Team Trump, Trump Organization, Trump Tower, various Trump hotels and golf courses, the list goes on
As might be expected from someone his age, he has barely embraced Instagram since taking office.
Since his inauguration, Biden has tracked six people — and five of those in the first three months. That means he has tracked one lonely person in three years since April 2021.
It won’t surprise any Republican to know that left-wing Hollywood loves Democrats – and vice versa.
Or maybe Biden just likes a bit of showbiz gossip… why else would you follow Jennifer Lopez, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hailey Bieber, Jennifer Garner, Alex Rodriguez, The Rock or Lady Gaga?
Could he be glued to YouTube since he seems to be an avid fan of influencers Dulce Candy and Eva Gutowski?
Or maybe he looks at the styling tips of Jonathan Van Ness, the grooming expert from the Netflix series Queer Eye?
Biden’s personal Instagram, @joebiden, has 17.1 million followers, but he has lost 22,620 in recent weeks. As of his inauguration in January 2021, his popularity has leveled off
What caught his attention on the Instagram account of bikini model Martha Hunt, a Victoria’s Secret Angel?
Of the 108 people he follows, more than a third – 37 – are bona fide celebrities.
Nevertheless, Joe has remained true to the causes close to his heart, such as Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.
At a women’s business summit at the White House, he spoke passionately about his longtime love, saying, “My name is Joe Biden. And I eat Jeni’s ice cream, with chocolate chips. I came down because I heard there was chocolate ice cream. By the way, I have a whole refrigerator full upstairs. You think I’m joking, but I’m not.’
All statistics came from the analytical social media site socialblade.com.