The Right had a lock on the internet. Not anymore.

As the shutdown drags on, Democrats find their digital footing while Republicans struggle to control the narrative.

For years, Republicans dominated the social media battlefield, setting the tone and tempo of online political discourse. Democrats struggled to keep up. After a string of digital missteps and messaging failures, though, Democrats are finally showing signs of life—and, for the first time in years, some strategic cohesion.

After the 2024 election, political observers, from pundits to content creators, began dissecting President Donald Trump’s campaign digital media dominance. Through aggressive online engagement and influencer partnerships, his team managed to sway young voters and independents in ways traditional media couldn’t match.

Since taking office, the administration has doubled down on that playbook. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the White House would begin credentialing social media creators for the press pool.

The administration also embraced Trump’s outrageous posts. Immigration has been a frequent focus, often through AI-generated imagery that typically elicits a strong response from those opposed to the administration’s actions. A February video showed immigrants boarding planes in handcuffs, captioned “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight,” a jarring attempt to reframe deportation content as an internet meme.

But in recent weeks, that strategy has faltered. Engagement is slipping, and even the administration’s own supporters have begun to criticize its online tactics. A recent Department of Homeland Security post received fierce backlash for featuring a clip of comedian Theo Von saying “heard you got deported dude … bye.” Von, who interviewed Trump on the campaign trail and attended the Inauguration, revealed DHS used the clip without permission.

“I didn’t approve to be used in this,” he wrote on X. “Please take this down and keep me out of your ‘banger’ deportation videos.”

On his podcast This Past Weekend, in the top five on Spotify, Von condemned the post, citing his Nicaraguan immigrant father: “One of my prized possessions is his immigration papers.” DHS removed the post.

Von isn’t the only creator retreating. Comedian Andrew Schulz, whose podcast Flagrant also hosted Trump during the campaign, has pivoted sharply. “He’s doing the exact opposite of everything I voted for,” Schulz said in July. “I want him to stop the wars--he’s funding them. I want him to shrink spending, reduce the budget--he’s increasing it.” Schulz has also begun welcoming figures such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to his show.

This growing rift between Trump’s once-loyal influencer network comes amid a government shutdown and as Democrats are finally finding their footing—and gaining steam—in the digital sphere. It’s not a clean handoff of the meme crown, but it does make one thing clear: when you get too comfortable, you get sloppy. After years of digital misfires, Democrats are starting to act like they want the mic back—though even the best online strategy comes with an expiration date, and the next narrative is only one misstep away.

For now, Democrats appear to be winning the messaging battle, at least in visibility and volume, on the government shutdown.

Dean Withers’ shutdown explainer on TikTok, reminding viewers that Republicans control all three branches of government, pulled in 20 million views. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) posted a similarly viral clip captioned, “Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress just shut down the federal government. Here’s what that means for you,” drawing 9.2 million views and 1.4 million likes. Of course, high view counts don’t equal persuasion; outrage travels just as fast as agreement. Still, for a policy-heavy post from an elected official to break through at that level is unusual—a sign that Democrats are finally learning how to speak internet.

Meanwhile, Republican content remains largely confined to X (formerly Twitter), where engagement is slipping and the tone feels increasingly stale. A White House repost captioned “Democrat Shutdown” pulled in 5.6 million views, but even that momentum quickly faded. When you’ve built a reputation for dominating the digital battlefield, any dip in engagement is more visible and more damaging.

Another White House attempt, an AI video depicting Democratic leaders Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), with Jeffries in a sombrero, landed with a thud. The post has turned into a headache for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). Reporters have repeatedly pressed him about it, prompting an irritated response: “These are sideshows. People are getting caught up in battles over social media memes.” The irony, of course, is that the sideshow began with the president himself.

Democrats, by contrast, are starting to find rhythm on the very platforms that once amplified the right. Instead of earnest press-style messaging, they’re leaning into irony, humor, and meme literacy, tools Republicans once monopolized. A punchy post from Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) comparing healthcare costs with and without ACA subsidies, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s trollish replies, and a quick jab from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) at Trump’s false “cats and dogs” claim all show a fresh understanding of tone: playful but pointed and grounded in shareable clarity rather than outrage.

The shift isn’t just in who’s posting but also in how. Democrats are experimenting with formats that feel native to social media rather than bolted onto it—a subtle but telling sign that they’re beginning to understand the language of the platforms.

Republican leaders have been rattled by Democrats’ recent digital momentum. Polls show voters blame the GOP more for the shutdown and back extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies Democrats are fighting to preserve.

In response, Republicans have tried to pivot the conversation, falsely accusing Democrats of wanting to provide “illegal immigrants” with free health care—an effort to shift the focus from health care to immigration and foreign policy, where they tend to poll stronger.

Some of the highest digital performances of the shutdown have been inward fire from Republicans themselves. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a longtime Trump ally, wrote, “I’m absolutely disgusted that health insurance premiums will DOUBLE if the tax credits expire this year”—a post Schumer gleefully read aloud on the Senate floor. When Johnson brushed her off as ill-informed, Greene shot back that the Republican Party “has no solution” for the looming rise in healthcare costs.

Meanwhile, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) drew over 100,000 likes on a post accusing Johnson of dodging on releasing the Epstein files. Massie has led a small coalition of Republicans—including Greene—working with Democrats to bypass GOP leadership to compel the release through procedural maneuvering. The unusual alliance has added another layer of chaos to an already-fractured Republican front.

This moment marks a clear turning point. Democrats have finally found message discipline and creative cohesion online, stayed on offense, avoided defensive framing, and forced Republicans to explain their own actions. That shift is evident in an unusually long and defensive post from Vice President JD Vance, a stark departure from the GOP’s typically punchy, meme-driven style.

After years of awkward, tone-deaf social content, Democrats are seriously investing in digital strategy. Whether that translates into lasting influence remains to be seen. And though early signs point to genuine progress, the real test lies ahead: Whether this moment represents a lasting shift or just another viral blip will depend on Democrats’ ability to pair online fluency with real policy results.

For the first time in a long time, Democrats’ digital strategy feels less like catch-up and more like leadership.

Olivia Julianna is a Texas Democratic strategist and Gen Z firebrand. She is an abortion rights activist, democracy organizer, and political influencer. With over 1 million followers across TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, her content has accumulated over 1 billion views, changing the political landscape and putting youth voices front and center in the fight for our future.

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