For the first time in years, Donald Trump is starting to fade into the background, according to SocialFlow data that tracks the number of clicks on news articles.
The big picture: During the first month of his presidency, Trump remained as controversial as he did when he held office, when he dominated social and traditional media. Their numbers have dropped in the last two weeks.
- During the first four weeks after leaving office, daily clicks on Trump articles (indexed to 100, based on highs and lows over the past year) averaged 53.
- In the last two weeks, the average has dropped to 21.
Between lines: Part of the decline has been by choice. Trump’s CPAC speech on Feb. 28 was his only public appearance since he left office and his media appearances were limited to a few calls on the network.
- Another part of the fall has been forced on him: he no longer has his social media accounts, including his Twitter feed, once dominant.
- In recent days, he has resorted to issuing press-like press releases.
By numbers: According to SocialFlow data, interest in Trump over the past year peaked during the week of the January 6 Capitol siege. He was also high during election week and when he contracted the coronavirus.
- In spite of everything elevated vision by Trump’s CPAC speech, the day after the address was marked his day with less traffic dating back to January 2020.
The summary: After four years of being subsumed by Trump, the political and media world is adapting to its new normalcy.