The Spire

Viveca Stucke ‘26

Opinions Editor

As we progress through the 21st century, social media has become one of the largest driving forces within our society.  Demonstrating a personalized look into one’s life, social platforms serve as a communication tool where users can have more control over their image and branding. Therefore, social media holds significance where users can shape their reputations to their own power, emphasizing the traits that they find valuable or desirable for the public. 

Therefore, the relationship between politicians and social media becomes very complex within today’s culture. Public figures hold the ability to connect with citizens on a more personal level, furthering their influence, power, and network. They can spread their messages in a more concise light, specifying their intentions and ideologies through a user-friendly interface. Since this inherently enhances connection and shapes their image within our contemporary society, there is a need for sensitive and intentional marketing, branding a figure’s image for success.

The level of accessibility that social media provides fosters direct engagement with the public, shaping public sentiment. This idea has led to polarization, specifically with former President Donald J. Trump and his Twitter controversy. President Trump utilized the platform as a way to deliver personal messages, being transparent about his opinions and the platform that he stands on. However, as the President of the United States, he also held core responsibilities, specifically the maintenance of a public image of the leader of the free world. Amidst this, and his controversial posts, his Twitter account was deactivated in 2021. His removal from Twitter opened up a line of dialogue regarding the role that politicians should play in the usage of social media.

This imagery of a public figure emphasizes the thin boundary needed between transparency and superficiality with politicians. Although increased visibility into our public figures is vital to maintaining levels of trust, inherently by being in office, there needs to be maintenance of an image of respect. In order to command the attention, veneration, and support of constituents, politicians must portray themselves in a respectful and powerful manner.

This has been something that our current President, President Joe Biden, has struggled with. President Biden has been notorious for his utilization of social media, engaging in public platforms to spread his message and connect with Americans. His social media presence has been characterized by his articulated infographics and the occasional post of him eating ice cream or meeting with various celebrities, emphasizing his attempted connection to modern day culture. 

However, on Super Bowl Sunday, President Biden took this one step further. Amid right wing conspiracies that the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win was orchestrated by Democrats so that Taylor Swift, who is in a relationship with one of the Chiefs’ players, Travis Kelce, would use her support and following to endorse President Joe Biden in the upcoming election, President Biden used their win to make a joke that it was “just like they drew it up.” Although this is not an intrinsically negative action, since humor could be a mechanism to become more relatable to his followers and the American public, his method to do so could be characterized as a bit…. odd. 

President Biden utilized editing techniques to portray himself as “Dark Brandon”, with a darkened background and shadowy imagery, topped with lasers through his eyes. Although this parody was funny, demonstrating that the President is able to deal with situations with an ode of humor, I do believe that it was done in bad taste. 

As per mentioned, there does need to be a level of professionalism with the presidency. Although transparency and casual encounters are something that can strengthen the image of a public figure, I believe that this post crossed the line. In a culture shaped by domestic division and international instability, I believe that President Biden’s efforts could be better directed towards meeting the needs of the nation than posting memes. Although his humor and casual nature allows him to connect better with the nation, permitting him to be more relatable, this post delegitimized his power and was a disrespect to the office that he holds and the role of the Presidency.

Copy Edited by Hannah Torrey