by DALLAS, TX – SEPTEMBER 14: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally … [+]
For people like me who keep an eye on social media trends, it’s a pretty big deal that Donald Trump may soon start posting on Facebook and Twitter again.
A big deal, you might say.
Recently, Meta announced that Trump could return to the platform in the coming weeks, and Elon Musk has already restored his Twitter account.
A pesky exclusivity clause with Truth Social prevents Trump from posting on other social media platforms, but that contract expires in June. Also, when has a contract ever stopped the former world leader from making a decision?
If you’re curious about the motivations for Trump, always look at the money trail. He wanted Truth Social to experience explosive growth, so people could flock to the new platform and see how it helped him get re-elected as a nice bonus.
More than anything, he wanted Truth Social to become a legitimate business. It hasn’t. From what I can tell, the social media app is nothing more than a minor-league player in a crowded field.
I always thought Trump was more motivated by profit than politics. I’ve even wondered if his entire political career was really meant to get us to pay attention to his business entities, and that his real motivation has to do with money.
In fact, while some have argued that Trump is a narcissist with an insatiable appetite for attention, I’m not so sure. I wonder if his ego is closely tied to the need to prove that he can make huge sums of money.
As it says, Truth Social is not a money machine. If anything, it’s bleeding money. Apparently there are also bleeding users. That means the app is more of a public embarrassment for Trump. Truth Social is nothing more than a pariah at this point.
So what will Trump do next? I have a theory about that.
Combining his presence on Twitter and Facebook alone, he will attract well over 100 million eyeballs to his political maneuvers and business interests. I doubt he will wait much longer. He’ll likely find a way out of his contract, and when he starts posting again, you can bet the masses will suddenly take notice.
Ironically, those first few tweets and Facebook posts will get more attention than anything he’s ever done before on social media, and he’s sure to gain millions of new followers (including the few million who still use Truth Social).
As the floodgates open on the primary channels, I expect Truth Social to go up over the course of weeks or months. Why keep it around? In politics (and in economic matters) the biggest blow wins. Trump knows this, and there is no doubt that he will stick to the platforms that most excite the public and increase awareness of his new campaign.
I don’t want to miss the app. I’ve been pretty clear about my dislike for the Truth Social app since it’s so one sided. As a journalist, it doesn’t make sense to have a “public square” for just one side of the aisle. Dialogue is what makes us grow and develop in our thinking.
Truth Social was an interesting experiment, but it will probably only take a tweet from the former president to kill it. That doesn’t sound like a stable and long-term business venture to me.
