Donald Trump’s tweets attacking the media, Congress, and the courts often backfired, study suggests

New research provides evidence that Donald Trump’s attacks on the media, Congress, and the courts often result in increased support for those institutions. The study, published in Political Research Quarterly, examined whether the former president’s rhetoric influenced democratic attitudes among U.S. citizens. For the most part, exposure to Trump’s tweets either had no impact or lead to the strengthening of democratic attitudes. “We were interested in understanding the effects of President Trump’s undemocratic rhetoric on citizens’ democratic attitudes,” said study author Miguel Carreras, an a...