Senate communication in the era of Trump

A single tweet can set off a political firestorm, and this digital climate has been brewing in the Senate for more than a decade as senators have used social media to build reputations and stoke partisan divisions. The threat of 3 a.m. tweets by former President Donald Trump offered unprecedented fuel to the fire. Press staff and journalists alike note one of the biggest changes in congressional communication stems from the rise of Trump when the pace of information escalated and senators' Twitter accounts, particularly Democrats, became the voice of opposition. Pairing an analysis of Senate social media data with staff interviews, the chapter explains how the Senate continues to adapt to a Trump-reinforced Twitter environment where misinformation is common, facts are debatable, and news is always being made.