Younger lawmakers are more likely to use social media to weigh in on President Trump’s State of the Union address after his speech, instead of saying something in the House chamber during his remarks, pollster Robert Griffin said in an interview that aired Tuesday on “Rising.”
“You’ve got a younger generation there to the extent that they’re really not seeing the TV moment as the moment,” Griffin, research director at the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group, told Hill.TV’s Jamal Simmons on Monday.
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) made headlines in 2009 when he yelled “you lie” during then-President Obama’s address before a joint session of Congress. Wilson later apologized for his remarks.
The freshmen, progressive lawmakers have made a splash since being sworn in last month by frequently criticizing Trump and Republican leaders, often on social media.
“I think these younger members are pretty good at knowing how to make an actual impact in terms of communications style,” Vanessa Williamson, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said during the same segment on “Rising.”
“I think you’ll see a lot of interesting responses on Twitter, maybe on Instagram,” she said. “But I don’t think in the chamber you’re likely to see that much.”
— Julia Manchester
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