Dear Commons Community,
The New York Times has an article this morning analyzing Elon Musk’s plan for a Twitter takeover as seriously adding to the problems facing Donald Trump’s Truth Social network.
Truth Social is slow and clunky. Its audience participation remains low. Two top executives have left, and Truth Social’s very reason for being appears under threat. Here is an excerpt from the article.
Musk’s plan for a potential hostile takeover of Twitter is the latest challenge for Trump Media & Technology Group’s flagship Truth Social app, which Mr. Trump has positioned as Twitter’s freewheeling conservative counterpart.
Mr. Musk said Thursday that he had obtained $46.5 billion in financing for his takeover bid and has suggested he would loosen Twitter moderation policies that he has chafed under — and that famously led the service to bar Mr. Trump for inciting violence over the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Although Mr. Musk has not said if he would allow Mr. Trump to return to the platform if his bid succeeded, his ideas for easing Twitter’s rules would further sap the appeal of Mr. Trump’s beleaguered start-up as it faces a regulatory investigation that could decide its future.
Karen Freberg, a professor of strategic communications at the University of Louisville, said Truth Social might have missed its chance.
“Had Truth Social had everything up and running, it could have brought people in and had potential time to grow the platform,” she said. “What’s happening with Twitter is that it’s gotten the media attention and spotlight, and Elon Musk is now utilizing his influence.”
Trump Media declined to comment on Mr. Musk’s Twitter bid. Liz Harrington, a spokeswoman for Mr. Trump, pointed to a recent interview with Americano Media in which the former president said he “probably wouldn’t rejoin Twitter if he could.”
Trump Media and Truth Social were facing significant challenges even without a competitor that could become more alluring to its prospective user base.”
The article goes on to mention serious problems that Truth Media and Truth Social are facing regarding funding investments that could be jeopardized by Musk’s takeover of Twitter.
Interesting read!
Tony
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