--- title: Most Retweeted Tweets 2017 description: From three messages from Barack Obama to one man's quest for unlimited chicken nuggets, here are the tweets that broke the internet. canonical: https://time.com/5048929/most-retweeted-tweets-2017/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-12-05T11:01:31.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:49:04.185Z og:title: These Are the 10 Most Widely Shared Tweets of 2017 og:description: Trump didn't make it but Barack Obama and one man's quest for nuggets did og:url: https://time.com/5048929/most-retweeted-tweets-2017/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: These Are the 10 Most Widely Shared Tweets of 2017 twitter:description: Trump didn't make it but Barack Obama and one man's quest for nuggets did twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # President Trump Didn't Make It on the List of 2017's Most Retweeted Tweets. But Obama Did > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=56b2f866-d41d-4270-b8ba-cb36b6eb9191&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Dec 5, 2017 11:01 AM UTC  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Dec 5, 2017 11:01 AM UTC This year was a rollercoaster socially, politically — and on social media. With news moving at a rapid clip, people turned to platforms like Twitter to keep up with current events, share funny stories and memes and take part in important conversations. Twitter, it turned out, was also an important gathering ground for messages of hope and service. Here are the ten tweets that garnered the most retweets over the course of the year, including three poignant messages from Barack Obama, one man’s ultimate quest for unlimited [chicken nuggets](http://time.com/4772186/carter-wilkerson-most-retweeted-tweet-free-chicken-nuggets/), calls to assist in hurricane recovery relief, and a suicide hotline PSA. None of Trump’s tweets made the cut, but a [Trump clapback](http://time.com/4956223/donald-trump-lebron-james-nfl/) from basketball star LeBron James did, and powerful responses from artists Ariana Grande and Linkin Park after [experiencing tragedies](http://time.com/4947324/linkin-park-first-concert-since-chester-bennington-death/). Together, the tweets tell the story of a global online audience willing to rally together in the face of difficulties — and willing to support a stranger in search of sustenance, topping off with 3.6 million retweets. **10.** > [](https://twitter.com/sethjoesph/status/902002107770920960) **9.** > [](https://twitter.com/SamMartin%5F6/status/903338173899706369) **8\.** > [](https://twitter.com/POTUS44/status/822445882247413761) **7.** > [](https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/911610455877021697) **6.** > [](https://twitter.com/linkinpark/status/888169188384100354) **5.** > [](https://twitter.com/POTUS44/status/819044196371800065) **4.** > [](https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/866849021519966208) **3.** > [](https://twitter.com/PennStateIFC/status/902970410404372480) **2.** > [](https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/896523232098078720) **1\.** > [](https://twitter.com/carterjwm/status/849813577770778624) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5048929/most-retweeted-tweets-2017/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5048929/most-retweeted-tweets-2017/"},"headline":"President Trump Didn't Make It on the List of 2017's Most Retweeted Tweets. 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