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Why is #TrumpWon trending on Twitter?

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Memorable presidential debate moments
Memorable presidential debate moments

Despite many pundits giving at least a slight edge to Hillary Clinton in Monday night's presidential debate, #TrumpWon was the top trending hashtag in the country on Twitter Tuesday morning.

Some, including Donald Trump himself, invoked the hashtag in tweets declaring he was the victor in the debate. On the other hand, others mocked the hashtag, referencing it with a sarcastic eye roll or a chuckle.

It wasn't entirely clear how the hashtag gained so much steam and whether there were more people using it to support Trump or in jest.

A Twitter spokesperson told Mashable that the #TrumpWon trend was organic and had not received paid promotion.

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It's also clear that Trump dominated social media conversations during the debate Monday night.

Twitter said that mentions of Trump's handle @realDonaldTrump accounted for 62 percent of the conversation, compared with 38 percent for @HillaryClinton.

Meanwhile, on Facebook, Trump accounted for 79 percent of the conversation, compared to 21 percent for Clinton, according to data provided by the social media site. Facebook didn't say if the Trump or Clinton mentions were pro or con.

The idea that one candidate or the other won the debate was being stoked Tuesday morning by large, prominently placed ads on major news websites.

One across the top of Washington Post's homepage said "Hillary wins debate," with a footnote saying it was paid for by the Hillary Victory Fund.

Meanwhile, on the Wall Street Journal's homepage, a banner advertisement said "Trump Won," with a footnote saying it was paid for by Donald J. Trump for President Inc.

Here are some examples of tweets with #TrumpWon:


Matt Rocheleau can be reached at matthew.rocheleau@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mrochele