Mustafa Bilgehan İmamoğlu, Şeyda Güdek-Gölçek
The post-truth era has created a political framework where emotions, beliefs, and disinformation shape truth, influence political agendas, and polarize society. In this framework social media platforms serve as key political arenas, with users acting as political actors. This study examines the political impact of fake news through a case study involving a March 4, 2024 incident, where Trump supporters shared disinformation targeting African American voters. Using sentiment analysis, it analyzed X (formerly Twitter) users’ attitudes towards fake news in three categories: Negative, positive and neutral. Findings reveal that fake news fosters political polarization by reinforcing opposing emotional reactions and impacting the political agenda. The results align with literature on the post-truth era’s democratic challenges.