Twitter is currently owned by Elon Musk. This implies, among other things, that Donald Trump’s indefinite ban on the social media platform would soon be lifted.
Musk stated in May, “I do think it was a mistake to ban Donald Trump, I think that was a mistake. “I would lift the permanent ban. Trump’s voice will only grow louder among the right by being banned from Twitter, which is why it is morally repugnant and just plain stupid.
Following the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, Twitter imposed the suspension, which Musk has not yet overturned.
But Trump released his own remark on Musk’s acquisition of Twitter using his own social media platform, Truth Social, in what amounts to a preemptive strike.
Trump wrote on Friday morning, “TRUTH SOCIAL has kind of become a phenomenon.” I LOVE TRUTH, Trump continued, adding, “I am extremely delighted that Twitter is now in sane hands and will no longer be ruled by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our nation.”
which, uh, okay
Despite Trump’s boasting about Truth Social, the former president’s primary outlet continues to be Twitter. (Truth Social was the 43rd most downloaded free social media app in the Apple Store as of Friday morning.)
Truth Social also has a number of additional issues, such as a number of legal and regulatory issues.
Shares of the special purpose acquisition company created to take Truth Social public fell as it became apparent that Musk’s proposal to acquire Twitter would succeed after much manoeuvring.
The problem of reach is another one. Trump only has 4.37 million Truth Social followers, a tiny fraction of his 88 million followers on Twitter before his suspension.
Additionally, Trump has been candid about the importance of Twitter to the development of his electoral prospects.
In a 2017 interview with Fox Business, Trump said, “To be honest with you, I doubt I would be here if it weren’t for social media.” Tweeting is similar to typing on a typewriter in that you post something as soon as I do to your show. I have the ability to go bing, bing, bing whenever someone says something negative about me and I take care of it. If I went about it differently, I would never spread the word.
But Trump has been adamant that he won’t return to Twitter.
In April, Trump declared, “I won’t be going back on Twitter. “I appreciate Elon Musk. I really enjoy him. He’s a really good person. When I was in the White House, we accomplished a lot for Twitter. I was dissatisfied with Twitter’s treatment of me.
That is simpler to state prior to the owner of the organisation promising to lift your ban.
Trump’s interests here are in conflict.
He has unquestionably MUCH more influence on Twitter than he will presumably ever have on Truth Social. His Twitter ban has severely limited his reach and diminished his capacity to steer the political narrative. In the event that Musk follows through on his promise to lift the embargo on the former president, Trump would immediately resume his capacity to drive news if he decided to return.
Trump, on the other hand, has a financial stake in maintaining the viability and relevance of Truth Social. According to Forbes, Trump’s net worth increased to $2.4 billion this year in part because of Truth Social. Before Truth Social ran into legal issues and Musk’s acquisition of Twitter became official, Forbes highlighted in April as follows:
“Master at reinventing himself, Donald Trump now calls himself a tech entrepreneur. For the 75-year-old, who doesn’t even use email but instead scribbles messages in marker, it’s a stretch. However, he is not averse to entering projects for which he has little prior experience, and this position should prove to be much more lucrative than the presidency. His net worth has already increased by $430 million as a result of it.
Trump may find himself torn between his two main loves at that point: money and power.
He attempts to have it both ways, in my opinion, by returning to Twitter while continuing to publish on Truth Social. Will that function? Only time will tell.