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US congressmembers' responses on X to mass shooting events differ along party lines
https://phys.org/news/2025-12-congressmembers-responses-mass-events-differ.htmlby Public Library of Science
Democratic congressmembers are significantly more likely to post on social media following a mass shooting event in the US compared to Republican congressmembers, according to a study published in PLOS Global Public Health by Dmytro Bukhanevych from New York University, United States, and colleagues.
How politicians use social media after shootings
Social media is now a key tool for politicians to communicate directly with the public, especially in the wake of important events. Previous studies have shown that voters perceive social media posts from politicians as more honest compared to news interviews. Here, the authors assessed how members of the US Congress responded to mass shooting events (as defined by the Gun Violence Archive, where four or more people, excluding the shooter, were shot) on social media.
Guns are a divisive topic in the United States, with Democrats tending to call for stricter gun control laws, and Republicans citing the Second Amendment as rationale for keeping guns relatively unrestricted.
. . .
How politicians use social media after shootings
Social media is now a key tool for politicians to communicate directly with the public, especially in the wake of important events. Previous studies have shown that voters perceive social media posts from politicians as more honest compared to news interviews. Here, the authors assessed how members of the US Congress responded to mass shooting events (as defined by the Gun Violence Archive, where four or more people, excluding the shooter, were shot) on social media.
Guns are a divisive topic in the United States, with Democrats tending to call for stricter gun control laws, and Republicans citing the Second Amendment as rationale for keeping guns relatively unrestricted.
. . .