The current administration’s Department of War has outperformed the previous one, showcasing a staggering increase in social media impressions and engagement—over 1000% more.
An examination of X, formerly known as Twitter, reveals this sharp contrast, even though both former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and current Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted a similar number of updates.
From January 20 to September 18, 2024, Austin made 427 original posts, including replies and quotes. In the same timeframe for 2025, Hegseth produced 358 original updates, leading to totals of 473 and 506 posts respectively when including the report.
On September 11, Hegseth paid tribute to Charlie Kirk alongside soldiers, first responders, and law enforcement.
However, beyond the quantity of posts, the engagement numbers diverged drastically. Austin received around 971,000 interactions during his posting period, while Hegseth garnered an impressive 1.6 million.
In terms of impressions, Austin’s posts reached 33.5 million views, whereas Hegseth’s attracted a remarkable 365 million within just nine months.
The figures for 2025 indicate a massive jump: average impressions were reported at 987% of the previous total, and engagement levels averaged a staggering 1,204% higher when compared to 2024.
These numbers hold significance, particularly considering former President Joe Biden’s ongoing reelection campaign, which is also attempting to rally support through social media.
Among Austin’s top posts, two were related to aid for Ukraine, while one expressed gratitude towards Biden’s “leadership and politics” following his withdrawal from the 2024 election.
Notably, this came shortly after Biden seemed to misspeak, inadvertently referring to Austin without mentioning his name during an interview.
On the other hand, Hegseth’s most impactful post included a prayer for Charlie Kirk after his tragic death. He also highlighted the renaming of Fort Bragg and mentioned the potential deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles due to unrest.
