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BLM Riots of 2020
The BLM riots of 2020 were caused by the brutal killing of George Floyd in police custody. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook were the primary forms of social media used to spread disruption and disinformation. Many photos were taken of the destruction happening around the country. Many Instagram users participated in "Blackout Tuesday" to stand in solidarity with the BLM protests. -
Capitol Riot on January 6th, 2021
Nearly a month and a half after the 2020 Presidential Election, supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol due to his election loss. Social media erupted, especially twitter, with the news. It was a major disruption and continues to be a source of discontent in the country today, with people coming to different conclusions of what really happened that day and who was ultimately responsible. -
U.S. Afghanistan Withdrawal 2021
In a highly scrutinized move, President Biden oversaw a historically bad withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, leaving 13 American soldiers dead, and hundreds of other Americans stranded in the country. Twitter and Facebook erupted with criticisms of President Biden's failure of leadership in the aftermath of the withdrawal. -
U.S. Presidential Debate 2024
During a contentious election season, Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump faced off in a highly anticipated debate. President Biden had a historically weak performance and questions about his viability on top of the Democratic ticket sparked immense scrutiny and caused disruption on Twitter. -
Assassination Attempt of President Donald Trump.
During a time of intense political polarization, an attacker opened fire on President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, grazing his ear and narrowly missing his head. People instantly started posting a viral photo taken by Evan Vucci of AP of a defiant and triumphant Trump to show their support for the former president. People took to twitter to voice their support, concern, and theories about what happened, creating a politically polarized environment instead of national unity.