Twitter Sees Trump's Indictment As A Day Of Great Posts, But Things Aren't How They Used To Be

When power users on Twitter learned last week that Donald Trump would purportedly be indicted, the anticipation for many was hotter than a flaming dumpster.

Even before anything was confirmed and the potential arrest was merely rumored, some tried to set ground rules or prepare themselves for what they thought would be a day of great posts.

Well, now that Trump has been indicted, the posts have arrived. But some are wondering if the posts about this latest event are of the same quality as the ones people made back before Elon Musk bought the platform.

Each chapter in the saga of former President Donald Trump has been written, in a notable amount, by the mocking and memes of people on Twitter (including the man himself). So, how does this latest installment compare to what came before?

First, the indictment posting saw a revival of some classic meme formats that have been associated with Twitter. We heard the news in a youth pastor's voice while Pope Francis heard the news from secret Vatican agent Joe Biden, who calls the Pope a lot (at least according to memes).

Others taking advantage of the moment found a chance to mock clichés of political journalism, a favorite punching bag for much of Twitter over the years.

Memers also linked the indictment to other events in the current news and meme cycle, such as the Gwyneth Paltrow trial, which has become quite a prominently memed event throughout the week.

For many online, politics seems to be like a reality television show: They watch it ironically and sincerely at the same time. Maybe that's a way of keeping the real emotional turmoil at arm's length — by laughing about unprecedented and hard things, they become more bearable for many users.

The centrality of memes and posting as a way of dealing with and digesting political news can't be discounted, as it's part and parcel of the political landscape we live in now. Memes influence how we interpret these events, and how we align ourselves politically.

Countless people at least agree on one thing, Trump's eventual mugshot will certainly be one of the biggest memes of the year.