Truth: Impact of Trump's New App

Truth could become the most powerful and influential app on the right flank of the internet

Trump’s new “Truth” social media app hit the stores today. It promises to be a network where Trump and the MAGA movement can express their opinions and share info and news without liberal censorship. The question is, what impact will it have? It is likely to be huge, or as Trump may say “yuge”.

Social media has been a game changer in politics. In 2007/8, Obama was a rank outsider for the Democrat nomination. His team where the first to embrace the new platforms of Twitter and YouTube, whilst his rival Hilary Clinton remained wedded to traditional campaigns. Obama won the nomination, and then used his social media mastery to help win two terms as President. Clearly using a new social media platform can be decisive.

In last 2020, many conservative voices found themselves ejected from traditional social media. This included Trump himself, who was barred from Twitter just before his term in office ended. The belief amongst some was that this would silence Trumpism. Left-wing censorship on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and other social media has not destroyed conservatism or MAGA; it has simply pushed it into new, almost exclusively right-wing apps instead. It has also contributed to echo chamber politics, as people spend less time engaging with disagreeing voices. This is likely to create even more ideologically fierce activists.

There are already several right-leaning social media apps, such as Parler, Gab, and Gettr. None have an official presence from the former President, so his presence on Truth is a selling point that cannot be matched. As this app will have the unique pull of Trump himself, it is likely this will come to be the dominant right-wing social media app, and as right wingers flock to it, it will become their go-to news source. Trump will use this to endorse candidates, comment on the news of the day and when he inevitably runs again, to rally support.

One thing is still unclear; will Truth ask whether a thin person can drink diet coke?

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