The DNC is taking the gloves off on social media in the fight to beat back Donald Trump and his billionaire-first agenda. The new DNC digital agenda shows that Democrats are focused on authenticism – meeting the moment and going on offense.

With this revamped digital strategy, the DNC is creating unique and innovative messaging opportunities that will organize and energize voters and strengthen our defenses against Trump and Republicans’ attacks. 

Here are some highlights from the coverage: 

NOTUS: The DNC Is Posting Through It

[Alex Roarty, 6/10/25]

“A Democratic National Committee trying to prove it can effectively fight back against Donald Trump’s administration has settled on a novel strategy to win back skeptical voters.

“Since the start of President Trump’s second term, the normally buttoned-up social media accounts at the Democratic National Committee have leaned into shitposting. …

“Behind the attention-grabbing gambit, DNC officials say, is a strategy to rebuild the party’s battered brand by proving it is willing to get its hands dirty in a fight with Republicans.

“‘We’re in a moment now where people have expectations of us as the resistance party,’ said Paulina Mangubat, the DNC’s digital content and creative director. ‘And so our social team has just been focused on the moment and embodying the attitudes that everyone is feeling right now.’ …

“DNC officials say the approach is to learn from the most successful social media accounts, including those that cover pop culture and sports, to craft a message that actually breaks through the noise.

“‘It’s putting people in charge who know how to dunk without reading a 40-page deck first,’ said Tim Hogan, the DNC’s senior adviser for messaging, mobilization and strategy. ‘Go out and recruit those people, and empower those people that we already have on our team. I really think it is about putting the posters in charge.’ …

“By some metrics, it’s working: The DNC’s social media accounts have grown by more than 1 million followers so far this year, according to the newsletter Chaotic Era. Some of the DNC’s videos on TikTok have received more than 10 million views. And the response on social media from allies has been largely positive. …

“Democratic voters are eager to see the party fight back, she added, and treat members of the administration as ‘objects of ridicule.’

“‘It’s really important for us to have the confidence online to call out these members of the Trump administration as pathetic and embarrassing … that is an energy that people want to see from us because it projects confidence and a knowledge of how people interact on Twitter specifically,’ Mangubat said. ‘It’s all about dunks. People are treating politics like sports games, they want to see their team clap back and fight back.’ …

“The type of posts the DNC now embraces show a greater degree of authenticity, Hogan said, that was missing previously.

“‘It is being willing to say what you believe,’ he said. ‘It is not overthinking it. It is being quick. It is being blunt. It is being direct. I think those are the hallmarks of authenticity.’”

Slate: The Democrats Are Giving Up On Going High

[Luke Winkie, 6/11/25]

“Luke Winkie: So what went into the shift in tone we’ve been seeing on the @TheDemocrats X account? How was this strategy cooked up?

“Paulina Mangubat: …We want very badly to meet the moment and to be a cipher for how the American people are feeling, and we also want to project a level of understanding of how the internet works and how people use Twitter and TikTok and Instagram. So you’ll notice that all of our posts look kind of different across platforms because we’re trying our best to emulate what the big accounts are doing on those platforms.

“You said that you want to meet the moment. How would you define this moment?

“People are consuming political content very similarly to sports content, and when you’ve got a team, you want to see them fighting and you want to see them celebrating the wins, obviously, but also clapping back and being funny. You want to trust that the people who are at the top of the account know what they’re doing. And I think posting things—like the cuck-chair post, for example—shows that our team is confident and it’s a decision that was made in confidence. I think that it does have an impact on how at least Twitter users feel about the account.

“It’s funny you mention that. I’ve been thinking about what the Democrats could do better with their messaging lately, and one thing that comes to mind is, I wish the party looked and felt more like my own group chat …

“That’s organizing: getting our message out from our account and into people’s group chats, having people sending out our tweets and Instagram posts via DM and saying ‘I can’t believe they posted this’ or ‘This is really awesome that they did this.’ We’re trying to use our organic social media as an organization tool to ultimately convey a sense of confidence and know-how with the platforms that we’re using.

“When you do have moments where you go I think this might be going too far or This is too mean-spirited, how do those hesitations manifest for you? What types of post ideas do you find yourself balking at?

“I want to make sure that the joke is always at the Trump administration’s expense. I want to make sure that it highlights how stupid they are. I don’t mind taking, let’s say, alternative routes to get there. The cuck chair was just the cuck chair. It’s a photo of a chair. I don’t know why we’re freaking out about it, to be honest. …

“I know that, ultimately, we’re talking about a couple of posts on Twitter. But the direction you’ve taken the account is the first time I’ve sensed something of an intriguing rebrand for the party. It has made me oddly hopeful.

“We’re seeing growth across all of our accounts. We’ve added 1 million followers to our platforms since January. It is important to note, though, that it’s very different running an account for a faceless organization when compared to running an account for an individual person. So I wouldn’t say every elected official should go out and start posting cuck chairs, but people are in search of authenticity. That’s what I would recommend: less fixation on an arduous approval process, less fixation on how you think things should be done, and more of a focus on what actually works.”