| | | | The 4%: Trump's Twitter devotees | | President Donald Trump makes no secret of his belief in the power of Twitter.
"I love Twitter.... it's like owning your own newspaper--- without the losses," Trump said in 2012. Five years later, Trump told Fox Business Network: "Tweeting is like a typewriter — when I put it out, you put it immediately on your show. I doubt I would be here if weren't for social media, to be honest with you."
The harder question to answer is just how far Trump's tweets reach. Sure, we know he has 52 million Twitter followers. But, how many of those people actively use Twitter? How many read his tweets once in a while? And how many are consuming very tweet Trump sends?
A new analysis by Gallup's Frank Newport sheds some light on those questions.
My biggest takeaway? Just 4% of Americans a) have a Twitter account b) follow Trump on Twitter and c) say they read most or all of Trump's tweets.
That's remarkably small! (Only 26% of all Americans have a Twitter account.)
What's fascinating is that despite the small percentage of people who consume all of Trump's tweets via Twitter, a majority -- 53% -- of Americans say they see "a lot" about the president's tweets.
Writes Newport:
"Some of their access to his tweets could be relatively straightforward, such as when a friend forwards a tweet or when a tweet is reprinted directly in a publication and the person reads only the tweet. But Americans' awareness of Trump's tweets is more commonly the result of an indirect, filtered dissemination."
The Point: Most Americans aren't using Trump's Twitter feed as a primary source. Instead, his tweets are being filtered through their preferred partisan lens before it ever gets to them.
-- Chris | | "If our leaders seek to conceal the truth, or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no longer grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom."
-Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in commencement speech at the Virginia Military Institute on Wednesday. Read Chris' take on how Tillerson trolled Trump. | | | | The Senate Judiciary Committee just released nearly 2,000 pages of transcripts from interviews the panel conducted with Donald Trump Jr. and other participants of a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting. CNN has been going through them, and posting analysis and highlights. Here are some of the main takeaways: Read more from CNN here; or read the documents yourself here on the Senate Judiciary Committee's website. | | | Laurel Remix/ Yanny Remix (EDM/Trap) by House of Evo -- because the internet has no chill and this is actually v. catchy. (Read more about Laurel / Yanny at the bottom of this edition of The Point). | | A RESURRECTED FIGHT OVER NET NEUTRALITY | | From CNN's Ted Barrett and Daniella Diaz: "The Senate voted Wednesday to pass a measure that would repeal changes to net neutrality rules that were recently adopted by the Republican-controlled Federal Communications Commission.
"The measure, which was backed by all 49 Democrats and Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Kennedy of Louisiana, will be sent to the GOP-led House, where it'll likely go nowhere -- and President Donald Trump is unlikely to back it.
"The FCC voted in December to repeal Obama-era protections. The net neutrality rules, approved by the same organization two years earlier, prohibited internet service providers -- such as Comcast and Verizon -- from speeding up or slowing down traffic from specific websites and apps."
Read more here. | | TRUMP DISCLOSES PAYMENT TO COHEN | | CNN's Kevin Liptak reported Wednesday: "President Donald Trump acknowledged that he has repaid his lawyer Michael Cohen for expenses Cohen incurred during the 2016 presidential election, according to his financial disclosure forms released Wednesday. While not stating explicitly what the payments were for, Trump's lawyers have previously said that Trump reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000 hush money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels.
" 'In 2016, expenses were incurred by one of Donald J. Trump's attorneys, Michael Cohen,' reads the form, which was released by the Office of Government Ethics. 'Mr. Cohen sought reimbursement of those expenses and Mr. Trump fully reimbursed Mr. Cohen in 2017. The category of value would be $100,001-$250,000 and the interest rate would be zero.' Trump submitted the form on Tuesday." Read more here. | | | Apparently Marlon Bundo, the Pence family rabbit, helped Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence earn up to $50,000 last year (H/t Center for Public Integrity reporter Dave Levinthal for pointing this out on Twitter). Marlon is also known as "BOTUS," the Bunny of the United States. He has his own Instagram and book, "Marlon Bundo's A Day in the Life of the Vice President," written by the vice president's daughter, Charlotte. | | ICYMI: Yesterday, the internet went crazy over an audio illusion: Is the voice saying "yanny" or "laurel"? At least one member of Congress has a strong take.
Brenna writes: CNN's Ashley Killough and Daniella Diaz tipped us off to some of the most pressing news of the day. The speaker has spoken on the debate of the year. "I'd like to declare something that is just so obvious. It is 'Laurel' and not 'Yanny.' Alright? Come on," House Speaker Paul Ryan declared during a press conference this morning. What say (hear) you?
FYI: Some experts determined it's "laurel," per Nat Geo. Also, Politifact fact-checked it. | | | From Brenna: "EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt was back on Capitol Hill today. He made the same face I make when people admit that there are still friends and family they have yet to sign up for The Point!" Tell people to subscribe to our newsletter. | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | | | | |
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