| Abstract: |
This study examines how users on Truth Social responded to Donald Trump's
reaction to Trevor Noah's satirical joke at the 2026 Grammy Awards. It analyses
users' interpretations of Trump's response, identi?es dominant affective frames,
investigates the transformation of satire from humour into a perceived cultural
threat, and assesses what these reactions reveal about the communicative culture of
Truth Social. The research is grounded in the concept of affective publics, drawing
on the works of Papacharissi and Lünenborg, which describe how digital political
communities are organised through emotional expression and collective meaningmaking. A qualitative research design was employed, utilising thematic analysis of
purposively selected replies to Trump's post on Truth Social. The ?ndings indicate
that users' responses were shaped more by emotional expression and identity
performance than by deliberative engagement. Five dominant themes were
identi?ed: satire as an affective trigger, defensive alignment with Trump, moralised
outrage, strategic dismissal and symbolic ampli?cation, and counter-discursive
critique. The results further demonstrate that within ideologically homogeneous
digital spaces, satire is reconstructed less as humour and critique and more as
symbolic aggression that prompts emotional mobilisation and collective defense.
The study concludes that backlash operates as a form of political communication
that reinforces group solidarity and cohesion. It recommends increased scholarly
attention to audience reception practices and comparative research across
alternative social media platforms. This research contributes to scholarship on
affective publics, Alt Tech, and the reception of political satire. |
