May 1, 2019

The word "tweetstorm" has been overblown — until now, as "Trump Fires Off 60, Mostly Anti-Biden, Retweets in an Hour."

Bloomberg reports:
President Donald Trump retweeted more than five dozen messages in an hour Wednesday morning, most seeking to cast doubt on the support of firefighters for Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden.

Biden, who announced his candidacy last week, has focused on appealing to the Rust Belt workers who helped Trump win in Pennsylvania and the upper Midwest. The International Association of Firefighters endorsed him on Monday....
Trump put up the tweet "I’ve done more for Firefighters than this dues sucking union will ever do, and I get paid ZERO!"
Along with that message, Trump retweeted Fox News personality Dan Bongino, along with people who said they were firefighters or their family members about a divide that exists between union leaders and members.
The Bongino tweet had lots of responses like "I’m a firefighter and I don’t endorse Joe Biden My vote goes to President Donald Trump!!!!" and Trump retweeted — as counted by Bloomberg — 60 of them.

68 comments:

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

"dues sucking union" - sing it.

mccullough said...

Should be a Retweet Storm

rehajm said...

Kills the unions appeal to authority. Effective.

gilbar said...

Union officials support Democrat establishment
Union members support President Trump

Nothing to see here folks, just Move Along!

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Union dues pay for fat cat union boss perks and for democrat party big-money donations. Even if you don't want to donate your hard earned money to democrats and progressive causes - the UNION is a funnel that forwards your dues to the democrat party.

A good gig for the D-machine.

Henry said...

Nothing says "overblown" like that "until now"

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

This is why corruptocrats in power-- **SEE JareD POLIS*** - are doing all they can to make this sort of structure, permanent. Forced money flow to the D-machine.

Tommy Duncan said...

Lincoln on Trump: "I can't spare this man, he fights."

Anonymous said...

May Day! May Day!

Imagine if the corrupt union leaders, at all levels in all states, were overthrown, and the establishment rejected in favor of new workers, who actually worked in the field, assuming leadership slots...

This is progress, when individuals advance while establishments fall.

Mike Sylwester said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike Sylwester said...

Why does the International Association of Firefighters endorse anybody in any Presidential elections?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Meanwhile- Kamala wants to KILL "right to work"

She also compares Immigration and Customs officers with the KKK.

Bay Area Guy said...

Journalism in 2019:

"OhMyGod, it's a tweetstorn. It's gone viral!"

rcocean said...

The MSM says 60, did anyone re-count them? I don't trust them to even get that right.

stevew said...

This sort of thing by Trump, the retweeting and topics he chooses to focus on, fascinates me in the sense that I can't figure out why he takes the action and makes the choices that he does.

Our national politics with DJT are anything but boring!

rcocean said...

Trump is always disappointed in Union leadership. He needs to accept the truth. Union leaders don't care about their members, only themselves. They're leftist's first, Union leaders second.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Oh wow, he retweeted over half a hundred posts--that had to have taken so many screen taps!

The absolute state of journalism!

Ann Althouse said...

"Nothing says "overblown" like that "until now""

What do you mean? He put up 60 tweets. He hasn't done that before.

I think "tweetstorm" would be a good word to describe 60 tweets, but it's been used often to refer to maybe 5 tweets, so it's lost its effect.

Anonymous said...

Variations on a theme.

Is it a tweetstorm because of the 60 if they are all centered on one theme? ("these individuals don't support the establishment pick and will vote for me... here's a quick 60")

I'd get worked up, and call it a storm, if he tweeted 60 times, on 60 topics, in an hour. Wowee! THAT's something...

This is just Bloomberg analytics that don't mean much, until you hammer home the theme: the soldiers are defecting from what their union leaders instruct. There's your story.

mccullough said...

Looks like Trump is testing out Biden’s rapid response capabilities. Hillary was slow to respond. Ran everything through committee and poll testing. Relied on surrogates too much.

We’ll see how Sleepy Joe responds.

Anonymous said...

Re-tweets (written by others and linked) v. tweets (written by the person himself)

President Trump re-tweeted 60 times.

Wince said...

Perhaps Trump was simply trying to underscore the numerical difference between union leaders beholden to Democrats, and the rank and file who believe differently.

By re-Tweeting giving voice to the "silent majority", not himself.

traditionalguy said...

This is wrestler Trump going to the mat with Mid Western Union workers votes being the prize. He just destroyed Biden’s narrative that Biden owns that vote.

Next opponent.

Gregg said...

Why isn't Althouse on Twitter? It wouldn't take much to parlay this blog into corresponding Twitter posts with a huge amount of Likes and Followers. If Twitter is all the rage for Trump, I would think that Althouse would put a little more effort into establishing a more substantial Twitter presence.

Nonapod said...

If Twitter is all the rage for Trump, I would think that Althouse would put a little more effort into establishing a more substantial Twitter presence.

Twitter is a cesspit and not very reflective of reality. Trump might use it as a way to vent and get certain messages out in an unfiltered way, but it's not a venue for any kind of serious discussion and debate.

Hari said...

Trump is putting other unions on notice that there will be a cost to them for reflexively endorsing the Democrats. Other union bigs have plenty of dirt that they don't want Trump exposing. Trump may not get the Union vote, but he can get the votes of union members who feel they are being used by their dues sucking leaders.

wwww said...

60 tweets? That's a lot of tweets.

My name goes here. said...

'"Nothing says "overblown" like that "until now""

What do you mean? He put up 60 tweets. He hasn't done that before.

I think "tweetstorm" would be a good word to describe 60 tweets, but it's been used often to refer to maybe 5 tweets, so it's lost its effect.'

It's a Tweeticane!

Tweeticane Trump!

Or do you name Tweeticanes with first names? Tweeticane Donald

So, since they are all centered around one person is it...

a Tweetnado?


Tweetsoon
Tweetsquall
Tweettwister

Henry said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michael K said...


Why does the International Association of Firefighters endorse anybody in any Presidential elections?


Graft for the union officers. Didn't you see "On the Waterfront?"

Henry said...

'"Nothing says "overblown" like that "until now"'

Has no one every tweeted 60 times in an hour before? Every tweetstorm reference was always overblown, until now?

Maybe it is because I find tweeting so underwhelming that I find Terrence Dopp's terminology one-upmanship ridiculous.

cf said...

like i said before, history will admire trump's unique incorporation of Twitter, in the same way they note FDR's use of radio.

our President is extraordinarily, incredibly, fabulously transparent, not to mention maximizing the technologies of the 21st Century.

cf said...

Stories like this get my daily American Parade started early. in my heart, i am marching with the faithful beat of steady drums that never stop behind us, and the flutes and horns get set to begin another thrilling Sousa and all America says "yes!"

Kevin said...

I think "tweetstorm" would be a good word to describe 60 tweets, but it's been used often to refer to maybe 5 tweets, so it's lost its effect.

What are the epic tweetstorms we should compare to Trump's?

The media certainly isn't interested in presenting that to their readers. That would constitute the role of journalism is to educate and allow people to reach conclusions for themselves.

No, we'll just be left there looking at a single statistic, "60 retweets!" and making of it whatever we're nudged to conclude.

wwww said...

a Tweetnado?

i vote for Tweetnado.

Francisco D said...

Looks like Trump is testing out Biden’s rapid response capabilities. Hillary was slow to respond. Ran everything through committee and poll testing. Relied on surrogates too much.

Excellent point!

Doodad said...

I vote Tweetnado too and I endorse it. It's essentially a new paradigm for campaigning. Woe to those candidates too "sophisticated," and too "dignified," to use it.

roesch/voltaire said...

A tweeter storm to put out the fire is like throwing gasoline on it. How it works depends on which way the wind blows.

Skeptical Voter said...

Biden's nickname (one of many for him) is "Slow Joe". That refers both to the speed at which he reacts, and to his mental capabilities generally. He finished pretty far down the class in a law school that was not a hotbed of intellectual ability. So quickness and agility are not his forte.

Trump on the other hand is (a) pretty smart --we've seen his college transcripts and records and all that; and (b) not inhibited by much. He steps up to the plate and swings at the verbal ball from his heels. Like a batter who's always going for the home run ball, he whiffs a lot. But he also connects once in a while. There's no way that Slow Joe can compete with that--and for that matter it's hard to see anybody else on the Democrat team that has a shot against him in the Twitter Wars. There are a lot of foul ball hitters on that team.

roesch/voltaire said...

Skeptical please show me where I can find the college transcripts of Trump which he has kept from the public except for bragging he has a big brain, more like a big mouth.

Temujin said...

The only thing standing between Trump and his reelection is his phone.

stevew said...

So, since they are all centered around one person is it...

a Tweetnado?


Tweetsoon
Tweetsquall
Tweettwister

I'd like something that combines Tweet with Tsunami because this thing from Trump is sudden and not predicted. "TweetNami"? Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue...

Kevin said...

Skeptical please show me where I can find the college transcripts of Trump which he has kept from the public except for bragging he has a big brain, more like a big mouth.

He has a big enough brain to take on 15 established Republicans and the Hillary Clinton machine to win the job of the most powerful job on Earth.

If you want to see his Freshman English grade to mock him, it says more about you than him.

Rick.T. said...

Asking for a friend who doesn't tweet. Wouldn't a retweet, which I assume is just reposting, a lot quicker to do than actually composing a message to tweet?

Swede said...

The media doesn't like that they get his messages the same way everybody else does.

He should be going through them, dammit!

He doesn't need them and that scares the shit out of them.

What if others begin to not bend the knee?

roesch/voltaire said...

Kevin even thought he ran against a weak candidate, Clinton, he still lost the popular vote and has not earned the respect of the many cabinet members who have left office and have noted his lack of curiosity and intellect.

eric said...

Ann Althouse said...
"Nothing says "overblown" like that "until now""

What do you mean? He put up 60 tweets. He hasn't done that before.

I think "tweetstorm" would be a good word to describe 60 tweets, but it's been used often to refer to maybe 5 tweets, so it's lost its effect.

5/1/19, 9:01 AM


I feel so young!

Does no one know what a tweetstorm is?

It's not liking or retweeting others.

It's writing your own tweets. In a series. Usually a long series.

gilbar said...

roesch/voltaire said...
Skeptical please show me where I can find the college transcripts of Trump which he has kept from the public


When was the last time a President (or, Presidential candidate) showed their college transcripts? Please provide links

Craig Howard said...

I think "tweetstorm" would be a good word to describe 60 tweets, but it's been used often to refer to maybe 5 tweets, so it's lost its effect.

Tweetnado?

Michael K said...

he still lost the popular vote

Hillary is president of California where she got over 4 million votes. Why some precincts had 114% turnout !

She lost the rest of the country by 2 million.

I would be willing to see her rule California as another country, It could not be worse than what they have now.

Infinite Monkeys said...

The MSM says 60, did anyone re-count them? I don't trust them to even get that right.

If there were three of them counting and they all had their shoes off....

Retweeting is like sharing is on Facebook. Tap and share, tap and share, tap and share. You could do a lot more than 60 a hour when you just have to read it and share it, especially if you don't have to look for content because it's showing up in your feed, being directed to you with an @ and your twitter handle.

"Tweet storm" is usually used to describe someone's Twitter rant. Their own content and all the negative connotations that "rant" has.

Anonymous said...

Deranged Donald, tweeting until the bitter end.

Wilbur said...

Maybe his name shouldn't be Sleepy Joe, it should be Sloppy Joe. When he put his hands on women's shoulders he was putting them in a Manwich.

Achilles said...

Notice none of the leftists engage what Trump tweeted.

Only that he tweeted.

The democrats are The Man holding down the common worker now.

StoughtonSconnie said...

This strikes me as less a “Trump Tweetstorm” than a media temper tantrum. You also see it in the Politico poll stating that “people” are turned off by Trumps use of Twitter. It all boils down to silencing all but the narrative.
Like Reagan using his comfort with the video medium to talk past the media and directly to the American People, Trump uses his comfort with the informality of Twitter to talk past the media to the American People directly. And hilariously, the media focusing on his activities amplifies the effect.
I don’t know, nor particularly care what individual peoples’ reactions are to the President’s communications, but I’m damn certain that they should hear it without the media filter. THAT is what those complaining today want changed.

Yancey Ward said...

I just love the meme the Democrats are trying to use against Trump- that tweeting will cost him the election. Without Twitter, Trump would have lost in the primaries in 2016. Trump isn't going to be swayed by concern trolling, and neither are his voters.

Yancey Ward said...

With Twitter, Trump is his own media operation, and the media fucking hate that. I still think Twitter will, at some point, try to shut Trump down, but by doing so will ensure his reelection because they will do it in the most ridiculous way, and at the most ridiculous time.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Polar vortex of tweeting -

a vortweex?

Yancey Ward said...

I mean, you know it has to annoy Dorsey and his employees to no end that Trump has used their product so effectively, even if it has kept the lights on at Twitter.

Yancey Ward said...

I could retweet 60 tweets in less than 60 seconds- probably in under a half minute. If you know the general content by the twitterer, you don't even need to read them first.

Drago said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Drago said...

Anonymous Inga: "Deranged Donald, tweeting until the bitter end."

Hillarys "end" was certainly bitter. Her other "end" no doubt remains the black box mystery it has been for 50 years for Bill.




Jim at said...

Skeptical please show me where I can find the college transcripts of Trump ...

Let's see Obama's first. Then we'll look at Trump's.
Need to keep things in chronological order, ya know.

Yancey Ward said...

Yes, we need to see Obama's first so that we have the full context of things. Context is important.

Jeff Brokaw said...

This is “news”?!

What incredibly stupid times we live in.

Yancey Ward said...

Jeff, it is concern trolling, not news. If tweeting were really hurting Trump, does anyone believe Politico would be trying to talk Trump into stopping it?

stevew said...

'You also see it in the Politico poll stating that “people” are turned off by Trumps use of Twitter.'

Which people, exactly, are turned off? Not this people who is no longer on twitter. Quick survey: How many of the Althouse blog community are on twitter? Are you turned off by Trumps use of Twitter?

You know, I'm starting to think that the only people that are turned off by Trumps use of Twitter are the active twitter folks like the Democrat Party operatives, politicians, and faithful, and the MSM journalists (BIRM).

DavidD said...

Isn’t it sad that there are international unions at all in this country?

It’s as if their members consider themselves firefighters (or electricians or whatever) first and Americans second.

I’ve never understood that.