FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 14, 2019
CONTACT: [email protected]
Report Shows Anti-Impeachment Sentiment Increasing in Rural Counties
Trump Supporters Are Online, Angry, and Aren't Afraid to Let Everyone Know
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, One Country Project (OCP) released the fourth installment of its impeachment social media listening project, which analyzes how rural Americans active on social media are discussing the impeachment inquiry into President Trump’s numerous misdeeds.“We are seeing consistent outrage from supporters of the president online. They do not defend his conduct, instead they label the process as corrupt; they do not demand due process, instead they accuse Democrats of staging a ‘corrupt inquiry.’ The Republican Party continues to march lockstep with the president, and their aggressive public relations campaign is focused on obfuscating and undermining a legal and transparent inquiry because they have no legitimate defense of the president’s corrupt behavior.
“The trend in online discussion is clear and concerning. Democrats would be well served to redouble their efforts to explain their case and their commitment to an open process.”
OCP observed social media traffic from October 28 to November 11, and the analysis identified a few key preliminary insights:
- Overall, discussion volume has increased by around 35 percent.
- Republican talking points have penetrated their base, and conservative social media users feel strongly that the impeachment proceedings are illegal and regularly describe them as a “hoax,” “fake,” “a sham,” and “a coup.”
- Share of discussion volume in support of impeachment has decreased by 6 percent since OCP’s October report.
This is the latest of an ongoing series of rural social listening memos and data released by OCP.
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About One Country ProjectThe One Country Project, led by former Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Donnelly, is working to promote greater opportunities for rural communities and ensure leaders earn their support. One Country is reengaging with rural Americans, serving as a clearinghouse of research and information for rural Americans, and working to ensure leaders regain trust by fighting for these communities. To learn more, visit the website, OneCountryProject.org.