Discursive strategies and conflicting opinions on Twitter: UK and US politicians debating on COVID-19 and COP26

This article analyses the discursive strategies employed by UK and US politicians on Twitter during two pivotal moments of intense public scrutiny – the COVID-19 lockdowns and COP26 – where political positions may have contributed to the formation of opposing factions. The analysis is based on two case studies that share a comparative focus on politicians across the political spectrum, including both those in office and in the opposition, male and female, prominent national figures, and those who may not be well-known to the general public, but who are committed to the specific topic. These studies allow for the identification of both similarities and differences in how politicians strategically use communication on social media. The data were analysed following a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis approach, highlighting and comparing the textual and visual semiotic choices involved in the discursive construction of conflicting opinions. The results show how politicians, while debating in the public arena and engaging with political opponents and their supporters, create a space to build their own worldviews, discourses, and ideologies that legitimise their role as politicians, doing politics as usual.