In the aftermath of a recent assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump has seen a remarkable surge in his social media followers. The attack, which resulted in a minor injury to Trump’s ear, has sparked a massive increase in his online presence, with millions of new followers joining his platforms within a week.
Trump’s Instagram following has increased by 51% compared to President Joe Biden’s, now standing at 25.9 million—up from 24.9 million prior to the attack on July 13. This marks a significant growth, reflecting heightened public interest and support following the shooting.
On Truth Social, Trump reported his harrowing experience with the shooting, describing feeling the bullet “ripping through [his] skin.” This post led to an additional 220,000 followers, boosting his total from 7.11 million to 7.33 million in just a week. His TikTok presence also saw a notable increase, growing from 7.6 million followers on the day of the incident to 8.8 million by Friday.
The hashtag #Trump has gained considerable traction across social media platforms. Analysis by Thomas Moore, director of Viralyft, indicates that the hashtag #Trump amassed 668 million views on TikTok, while #DonaldTrump attracted 282 million views and #Trump2024 trended with 157 million views. Additionally, searches for “How to register to vote” spiked by 500% nationwide within three days of the attack.
Moore suggests that the surge in Trump’s followers is likely due to the extensive media coverage surrounding the assassination attempt, which has resonated strongly with his supporters online.
