A recent report suggests that the use of X, formerly Twitter, among Congressional Democrats has significantly decreased since Elon Musk assumed control of the social media platform. According to a public affairs firm's calculations, there has been a notable increase in the number of Republican lawmakers using X in 2024 compared to their Democratic counterparts.
The report highlights that out of the top 20 most active accounts for members of Congress, only one Democrat, Rep. Maxwell Frost from Florida, ranks at number 15. This marks a stark shift from the previous year when the top 10 most active congressional accounts were evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.
Many critics on the left have raised concerns about Musk's ownership of X, alleging that he is leveraging the platform to support President-elect Donald Trump and right-wing causes. In contrast, Musk and his supporters argue that he is fostering a more user-controlled experience that champions free speech.
Notably, a survey conducted in 2023 indicated a significant decline in the number of Americans identifying as Democrats using X following Musk's acquisition of the platform. The report also points out that public officials, particularly those on the left, are shifting their social media habits in response to these changes.
For instance, Rep. Dwight Evans from Pennsylvania, who was the most active Democratic lawmaker on X in 2023, saw a sharp 66% decrease in post frequency in 2024. Similarly, the activity on X accounts for California Representatives Robert Garcia and Ted Lieu, both Democrats, declined by 35% and 26%, respectively.
In 2024, the most active X accounts belonged to Rep. Chip Roy from Texas and Sen. Ted Cruz, also from Texas. Republican lawmakers collectively accounted for 54.4% of X posts by members of Congress in 2024, while Democrats contributed 45.1%.
It is important to note that it is common practice for congressional lawmakers to delegate control of their X accounts to their staff. However, some lawmakers like Cruz, Roy, and Rep. Don Bacon from Nebraska are known for directly engaging with other X users.
Rep. Frost, the sole Democrat among the top 20 most frequent congressional X users in 2024, cautioned fellow liberals against relinquishing the platform to Republicans, emphasizing the risk of losing progressive voices on X.
