#GOPDebate: See Which Candidates, Issues Dominated Social Media

The first debate featuring 10 candidates had Facebook and Twitter buzzing all night.

Experts and candidates alike are busy declaring winners and losers of the first debate of the 2016 presidential campaign.

But which of the 10 GOP hopefuls to take the stage during Thursday night's face off won on social media? 

Facebook, which co-sponsored the Fox News debate, and Twitter released lists recapping the most talked-about candidates and moments of the two-hour event. 

Donald Trump, who has surged to the top of the polls in recent weeks, got the most attention in Facebook and Twitter feeds. The blunt businessman served up several memorable moments throughout the debate. His diss of Rosie O'Donnell, a response to a question about derogatory comments he's made about women, and claim that he leveraged donations to the Clinton Foundation to get Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton to come to his wedding, were the second and third most tweeted moments of the debate. 

Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich also finished in the top five on one or both of the social platforms. 

The top moment for the 7.5 million Facebook users who engaged with posts related to the debate, either by sharing, liking or commenting on content, was the heated exchange between Christie and Paul on government surveillance programs, according to Facebook Policy Communications Manager Andy Stone. 

Christie blasted Paul's assertion that he wants to "to collect more records from terrorists but less records from innocent Americans," calling such an approach "a completely ridiculous answer.” As the heated back-and-forth about the National Security Agency's mass data collection practices and Christie's experience during and after 9/11 continued, Paul hit back with a zinger on the embrace Christie shared with President Barack Obama during the response to superstorm Sandy, just before the 2012 election. 

“I don’t trust President Obama with our records. I know you gave him a big hug and if you want to give him a big hug again, go right ahead,” he said. 

The exchange also topped Twitter talk. 

Immigration, racial issues, the economy, education and abortion were also hot topics related to the debate on Facebook.  

The next GOP debate is set to air Sept. 16 on CNN. 
 

Contact Us