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The Spectacle of Power: Hybridisation and Digital Populism in White House Communication (2025)

Author

Listed:
  • Ana Velasco Molpeceres

    (Departamento de Periodismo y Nuevos Medios, Facultad de Ciencias de la Información, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain)

  • Jonattan Rodríguez Hernández

    (Departamento de Periodismo y Nuevos Medios, Facultad de Ciencias de la Información, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain)

  • Eglée Ortega Fernández

    (Departamento de Ciencias de la Comunicación Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias de la Información, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain)

Abstract

This article examines the institutional communication of the White House on X (formerly Twitter) during the first nine months of Donald Trump’s second presidency (January–October 2025). Through a mixed-methods approach that combines thematic, network, and lexical–discursive analysis, the study explores how the presidential account (@WhiteHouse) integrates informational, emotional, and performative dimensions within a hybrid media system. The dataset comprises 4297 tweets, analysed through Graphext, NodeXL/Gephi, and Sketch Engine. The findings reveal that audiovisual and symbolic content dominate over political or policy-related topics, while financial and technological actors occupy central positions in the network of mentions. Lexical analysis highlights three semantic nuclei—Trump, President, and America—that structure a moralised and affective narrative of leadership. The results reflect that White House communication operates as a hybrid and post-bureaucratic model, where political legitimacy increasingly depends on visibility and reputational association with market logics.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana Velasco Molpeceres & Jonattan Rodríguez Hernández & Eglée Ortega Fernández, 2026. "The Spectacle of Power: Hybridisation and Digital Populism in White House Communication (2025)," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:15:y:2026:i:3:p:186-:d:1893136
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