A Peaceful Transfer of Power? A Content Analysis of Leadership Framing and Political Discourse in r/Politics and r/Conservative Following the 2021 U.S. Capitol Riot

Abstract

The 2021 U.S. Capitol riot disrupted the transition of presidential power, influencing how the American public viewed President Trump and President Biden. Through a content analysis, this study investigated how users of two Reddit communities—r/politics and r/conservative—framed these leaders in the riot’s aftermath. This study finds that users were specifically concerned with presidential behavior, conflict, and U.S. democracy. Moreover, portrayals of President Trump normalized by the end of President Biden’s first 100 days. These findings contribute to scholarship examining social media data during political instability and elucidate how the U.S. Capitol riot influenced political discourse within social media.