For Trump, X marks the spot for his social media return. Why that could really matter

Former President Donald Trump returned to the social media platform “X,” previously known as Twitter, to post for the first time since being expelled, causing potential impacts in the social media and political landscape.

The return: Donald Trump was allowed back on X by its majority owner Elon Musk and made his first post after being booked on conspiracy charges in Georgia.
* His return to X came after Musk ran an unofficial Twitter poll asking if Trump should be allowed back on the platform, to which the majority responded in affirmation.
* Trump’s return could overshadow other potential GOP nominees and sway public attention with his controversial posts.

Numbers game: The reach of Trump on X far exceeds his audience on his own platform, Truth Social.
* On Truth Social, Trump has 6.4 million followers, while on X he counts with 86.5 million followers.
* Previously, Trump was able to command the news cycle with controversial tweets, keeping his name in the discussion.

The controversy: The switch to X comes with controversial consequences due to altered site rules under Musk’s leadership.
* Changes made to the platform under Musk, including allowing people to pay for verification marks, have led to confusion with fake accounts and increased volatility.
* Despite losing some users due to the changes, X still maintains a monthly user base of 450 million.

Political implications: Trump’s return on X could affect the GOP nomination and eventually the general election.
* As Trump is currently the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, his return to X and the broad reach it offers could potentially influence the upcoming election cycle.
* Majorities of Independence and Democrats view Trump unfavorably, indicating potential election challenges for the GOP if Trump gains the nomination again.

View original article on NPR

This summary was created by an AI system. The use of this summary is subject to our Terms of Service.

Contact us about this post

Posted

in

by

Tags:

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *