List of the top most-retweeted tweets in the #StopTheSteal conversation between 10/3/20 & 1/6/21

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

Tweet text:
Kate Starbird
@katestarbird
Per a researcher request, we’ve assembled a list of the top most-retweeted tweets in the # StopTheSteal conversation between Nov 3, 2020 and Jan 7, 2021. Some highlights below.
12:50 PM · May 14, 2021

Unrolled thread here
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1393292692436574209.html

Per a researcher request, we’ve assembled a list of the top most-retweeted tweets in the # StopTheSteal conversation between Nov 3, 2020 and Jan 7, 2021. Some highlights below.

Most retweeted StopTheSteal tweet was authored by @realDonaldTrump on January 3. It’s a quote tweet about the January 6 protest, to which he adds: "I will be there. Historic day!” It was retweeted 51,137 times (according to our data).
@mentions

2nd on list, ~45,000 RTs, realDonaldTrump (Jan 3): 'Georgia election data, just revealed, shows that over 17,000 votes illegally flipped from Trump to Biden.” This alone (there are many other irregularities) is enough to easily “swing Georgia to Trump”. #StopTheSteal...'
@mentions

realDonaldTrump also posted the 3rd, 6th, and 8th most retweeted # StopTheSteal tweets.
@mentions

Perhaps more interesting, the account of GenFlynn (retired General Mike Flynn) posted the 4th, 5th, 11th, 13th, 17th, 24th most retweeted tweets in the # StopTheSteal data.

GenFlynn was much earlier to the StS conversation, with several tweets from as early as Nov 8. His retweet numbers (and placing among the top retweets) are more remarkable than realDonaldTrump’s numbers, because his follower count was much lower (about 1/100 of the size).

GenFlynn is interesting, because he was a focus of early QAnon mythology, and eventually embraced their movement. His account is highly retweeted by Qanon-affiliated accounts and he seems to create one bridge between those networks and the larger StopTheSteal movement.

This is a retweet network graph of the # StopTheSteal conversation. Nodes: accounts, sized by total # retweets. Edges: 3+ retweets of one account by another. Accounts in red have QAnon terms in their profiles. Note how red accounts cluster around GenFlynn.
Image

At #32, 13500 RTs, @EricTrump (Jan 5): "Patriots — Who’s coming to Washington D.C tomorrow!!! Let’s #StopTheSteal" [This tweet has been deleted or removed, but EricTrump’s account is still active.]
@mentions

Former Pres. Trump’s two adult sons were among the most prolific “repeat spreaders” of false and misleading claims about voter fraud. It’s interesting to see Eric also helping to mobilize the Jan 6 protests.
• • •