Divided by Truth: Legislative Consequences of Presidential Signaling on Social Media

Authors

• Christian D. Pereira, Bryant University

Abstract

How does presidential communication on social media shape legislative behavior in Congress? While presidents have traditionally been seen as capable of mobilizing coalitions through public appeals, this dynamic may no longer hold in the contemporary media environment. Focusing on posts from President Donald Trump’s platform, Truth Social, we examine whether presidential commentary referencing Congress affects subsequent legislative activity. Drawing on theories of agenda setting and elite signaling, we argue that visible presidential communication increases the partisan salience of issues and alters legislators’ incentives. Using an original dataset of Trump’s Truth Social posts merged with measures of congressional activity, we find that when Trump invokes Congress, substantive legislative action tends to stall. These findings suggest that modern presidential communication may inhibit, rather than facilitate, congressional policymaking.

First Faculty Advisor

Tristan Hightower

Recommended Citation

Pereira, Christian D. (2026) "Divided by Truth: Legislative Consequences of Presidential Signaling on Social Media," Bryant University Undergraduate Journal: Vol. 6: Iss. 1, Article 6.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.bryant.edu/isbhs/vol6/iss1/6