@realDonaldTrump: Social Media under Trump 2.0

Donald Trump’s first term was shaped by Twitter as much as it was shaped by his policies. A veritable master of the platform, he utilised it in ways unprecedented for a national politician.?

Eschewing the confines of decorum and lower case lettering, what Trump blasted over the internet came through, unfiltered and raw. A discourse unto itself, many Americans were struck by this wholly new form of politiking, which was a world away from the rehashed and rehearsed political soundbites that had permeated media up to that point. The refrain “He tells it like it is” was and has remained a common descriptor of Trump, even if it’s been preceded by the phrase “I may not agree with him personally but…”.

Trump was promptly cut off from his preferred medium following the January 6th Capitol riot. A ban from Twitter, Facebook and Instagram led him to found Truth Social, a smaller, echo-chamber-like platform without the same reach. And in the intervening years, the social media landscape changed quite a bit; TikTok exploded onto the scene, Elon Musk took over Twitter, and Facebook renamed itself Meta.?

Each came to represent a different vision of the future. TikTok offered a synthesis of the old and new internet, making highly viral, personable content ripe for affiliate marketing and social shopping; Twitter veered right, embracing the underbelly of populism and as such was literally remade to submit us to Musk’s not-so-sub-conscious; while Meta bet billions on the still-yet-to-be realised dream of a near-fully digital life. All the while, AI-generated content filled the internet with slop.?

In the days following Trump’s 2024 victory, the leaders of our digital vanguard fell in line to please the incoming Commander in Chief. Musk was rewarded handsomely for his fealty, getting a centre stage role in the inauguration. Zuckerberg dismantled fact-checking and ventured onto the Rogansphere to defend a new era of ‘freedom’ (all while forcing people to follow Trump’s social media accounts). And TikTok, threatened by a full on ban, saw Trump step in on live TV to try and broker a deal for a US buyer.?

But social media fatigue is setting in, millions have left Twitter, and the internet just isn’t fun anymore. Now, after 20+ years of living with the promise of a bright digital future where connection and happiness are just a click away, the dream feels further than ever. With users tapping out, what will happen to the megaphonic power that Trump had harnessed in his first term? Will he still be able to maintain control, see his voice cut clearly and loudly through the crowd (now piled high with AI bots)? Or will the internet and its simulacra of authenticity be a force too slippery to wield successfully this time around??