For the first time in years, Donald Trump is starting to fade into the background, according to data from SocialFlow that tracks clicks on news articles.
The big picture: During the first month of his post-presidency, Trump remained as talked about as when he was in office, when he dominated social and traditional media. His number has fallen sharply in recent weeks.
- For the first four weeks after he left office, there were an average of 53 daily clicks to Trump articles – indexed to 100, based on highs and lows over the past year.
- In the past two weeks, the average has dropped to 21.
Between the lines: Part of the decrease is through choice. Trump’s CPAC speech on Feb. 28 was his only public appearance since he left office, and his media appearances were limited to a few network calls.
- Another part of the decline has been forced on him: He no longer has his social media accounts, including his once-dominant Twitter feed.
- For the past few days, he has resorted to issuing tweet-like press releases.
In numbers: Interest in Trump peaked in the week of the January 6 siege, according to SocialFlow data. It was also high during election week and when he contracted the coronavirus.
- Despite many viewers ahead of Trump’s CPAC speech, the day after the address marked his least traded day dating back to January 2020.
It comes down to: After four years with Trump, the political world and the media are adjusting to their new normal.