Publication Date

5-2026

School

Helms School of Government

Major

Government: Politics and Policy

Keywords

digital media, strategy, priming, social media, politics, political campaign, presidential election, voters, economy, immigration

Disciplines

American Politics | Social Influence and Political Communication | Social Media

Abstract

This thesis applies the priming theory of communications and examines its effectiveness in the political realm, specifically, within the digital strategies implemented throughout the 2024 presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump. It was asked to what extent Donald Trump’s digital political priming on social media influenced the most important issues to voters in the 2024 election. The use and impact of rhetoric, images, and partnerships were analyzed in this study to determine the extent to which Trump was able to influence the issues voters deemed as most important. By comparing Trump’s social media use with polling showing the economy and immigration as the most important issues to voters, the preliminary findings in this project strongly indicate a positive relationship between the two. Based on the results of this study, political candidates should utilize digital priming early and often on social media to dictate the most important issues of elections to American voters and help secure political campaign wins.

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