Donald Trump comes out on top — on Facebook

If there is one thing Donald Trump is known for, it is creating chatter. 

When Trump announced his presidential bid Tuesday in New York, he created more interactions on Facebook than any other GOP presidential candidate so far. 

{mosads}A total of 3.4 million people on the social media site either liked, posted, commented on or shared news about Trump 6.4 million times, according to statistics provided by the company. 

The only candidate from either party to top him was Hillary Clinton, who generated 10.1 million interactions from 4.7 million people in the 24-hour period surrounding her launch.  

Trump’s announcement drew mockery and derision in some political circles after the businessman and reality TV star repeatedly flirted with, then decided against, presidential runs in the past. And there is no indication that Facebook interactions, which are not broken down by positive or negative mentions, translate to votes.

But other candidates have recently touted their reach on social media. Trump’s next-closest rival was Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who created 5.5 million interactions by 2.1 million people when he became the first major candidate to announce a presidential bid for 2016. 

Cruz’s campaign sent out a press release the day of Trump’s announcement declaring “Cruz leads GOP field in Facebook interactions occurring on day of presidential launch.”

“That is the most important space to succeed as a candidate, especially early on,” Cruz’s campaign manager Jeff Roe said in a statement before Trump’s numbers were released. “The opinions of your friends on Facebook or Twitter are far more influential than what any pundit may say on TV. Headcount matters more than headlines.”