Figure 1
Line chart illustrating peak in Twitter mentions of “veterans” for September 1 to 15, 2020.
Figure 2
Word cloud illustrating terms commonly associated with “veterans” in Sept. 4 tweets.
Table 1
Bimonthly trends in Twitter conversations mentioning the term “veterans” in 2020.
| TIME PERIOD | VALENCE OF TWEETS | PEAK DAY | PEAK TOPIC |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 to 15, 2020 | 72% negative 28% positive | January 1 26,261 mentions | Political news about Veterans Choice1 |
| January 16 to 31, 2020 | 62% negative 38% positive | January 31 18,691 mentions | Veterans Choice1; Retweeting veterans crisis hotline number3 |
| February 1 to 14, 2020 | 55% negative 45% positive | February 12 87,293 mentions | Responding to Republican politician’s tweet associating “liberal socialist” politicians with losing “freedoms…veterans fought and died for”2 |
| February 15 to 29, 2020 | 51% negative 49% positive | February 19 73,696 mentions | Veterans condemn Trump for attacking Army officer who testified against him1 |
| March 1 to 15, 2020 | 52% negative 48% positive | March 4 69,783 mentions | Veterans Choice1; Dead veteran with no family for funeral1 |
| March 16 to 31, 2020 | 55% negative 45% positive | March 29 62,541 mentions | National Vietnam War Veterans Day3 |
| April 1 to 15, 2020 | 59% negative 41% positive | April 15 16,931 mentions | Postal Service funding threatened, employer of veterans3 |
| April 16 to 30, 2020 | 56% negative 44% positive | April 21 27,647 mentions | COVID ravages VA hospitals1; experimental drugs tested on veterans1 |
| May 1 to 15, 2020 | 52% negative 48% positive | May 8 21,551 mentions | Trump meets WWII veterans, does not wear COVID mask1 |
| May 16 to 31, 2020 | 49% negative 51% positive | May 25 81,156 mentions | Memorial Day3 |
| June 1 to 15, 2020 | 70% negative 30% positive | June 4 20,641 mentions | Veterans challenge Trump’s use of military to squash D.C. protests1 |
| June 16 to 30, 2020 | 74% negative 26% positive | June 17 21,352 mentions | Presidential task force releases plan for veteran suicide prevention1 |
| July 1 to 15, 2020 | 70% negative 30% positive | July 7 25,256 mentions | Pennsylvania nursing home gives veterans dangerous “COVID cocktail” of medication1 |
| July 16 to 31, 2020 | 78% negative 22% positive | July 25 78,199 mentions | Veterans create protective wall around protestors in Portland, Oregon3 |
| August 1 to 15, 2020 | 83% negative 17% positive | August 14 85,000 mentions | Movement to support Postal Service because it provides veterans access to medication3 |
| August 16 to 31, 2020 | 83% negative 17% positive | August 16 45,087 mentions | Postal Service funding; stories of veterans not receiving medication3 |
| September 1 to 15, 2020 | 86% negative 14% positive | September 4 289,039 mentions | News story: Trump called veterans “losers” and “suckers”1 |
| September 16 to 30, 2020 | 66% negative 34% positive | September 23 29,620 mentions | Trump honors veterans of the Bay of Pigs invasion2 |
| October 1 to 15, 2020 | 65% negative 35% positive | October 12 22,541 mentions | Political tweets attacking Joe Biden’s record with VA Healthcare3 |
| October 16 to 31, 2020 | 57% negative 43% positive | October 19 19.470 mentions | News reports scrutinize Alabama politician Tommy Tuberville’s veteran charity1 |
| November 1 to 15, 2020 | 21% negative 79% positive | November 11 626,023 mentions | Veterans Day3 |
| November 16 to 30, 2020 | 47% negative 53% positive | November 18 13,222 mentions | Michigan debate over Election Day outcome “dishonors veterans”1; news photo of WWII veteran Remembrance Day goes viral1 |
| December 1 to 15, 2020 | 53% negative 47% positive | December 10 12,152 mentions | Incoming president Biden names Denis McDonough secretary of veterans affairs1 |
| December 16 to 31, 2020 | 57% negative 43% positive | December 23 15,059 mentions | An elected official (and veteran) calls for the Georgia governor to convene a special session concerning the election2 |
[i] Note: Bold indicates Top 3 days with most mentions of veterans. Within the topic column, superscript 1 indicates news story; 2 indicates politician driving topic; 3 indicates social media advocacy.