Congressional Democrats’ Use of X Drops Off Significantly Under Elon Musk’s Ownership
A new report from public affairs firm Quorum suggests that Congressional Democrats’ use of X, formerly Twitter, has significantly dropped off in the years since Elon Musk took over the social media platform. In contrast, Republican lawmakers have increased their use of X, with significantly more Republicans using the platform in 2024 than Democrats.
According to Quorum’s report, the top 20 most active accounts for members of Congress are now all Republicans, with the exception of Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., who comes in at No. 15. This is a stark change from Quorum’s 2023 report, which showed a nearly even split between Republican and Democratic accounts in the top 10.
Many Democratic lawmakers have slowed their X usage since Musk’s takeover, with some seeing a significant decrease in their posting frequency. For example, Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa., saw a 66% drop in his posting frequency, while Reps. Robert Garcia and Ted Lieu, both Democrats from California, saw their activity fall by 35% and 26%, respectively.
In contrast, Republican lawmakers such as Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have increased their use of X, with Roy being the most frequent congressional X user. Cruz and Roy are known for frequently engaging with other X users directly.
The decline in Democratic use of X is not limited to lawmakers. A 2023 survey showed a significant decrease in Americans who identify as Democrats using the app, with Democrats driving the exodus.
Rep. Frost has warned fellow liberals not to cede the platform to Republicans, saying that if they leave X, it will help Elon Musk achieve his goal of making the platform void of progressive ideology.