The platform has become an unofficial part of President Trump’s campaign.
Trump X
Now that multi-talented billionaire Elon Musk has avowed his status as a Trump enthusiast, it didn’t take long for his online echo chamber, X (formerly Twitter), to turn into a MAGA-infested enclave.
In a new move that goes beyond parody, the social media network added an untouchable Trump 2024 hashtag to the top of its trending list, added campaign ads to its “Explore” tab and made an American flag cascade when one of the hashtags was clicked.
As reported by The Verge, Twitter likely violated copyright by stealing a photo owned by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci from the aftermath of the assassination attempt and turning it into a “hashmoji.”
It’s a disturbing development, and one that highlights a complete reversal of social media companies’ efforts to stay out of political affairs, even though that strategy has not always been particularly successful.
Before buying Twitter in 2022, Musk promised to create a “digital town square” for everyone, but now he’s committed to using the platform to promote his own polarizing worldview.
In essence, Musk has abandoned impartiality, and his latest move marks the end of his long descent into right-wing fanaticism, racist tendencies and general bigotry — all of which found a home on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Full MAGA
Earlier this week, news broke that Musk was donating as much as $45 million per month to a pro-Trump super PAC run by Silicon Valley conservatives.
In a tweet, he congratulated Republican Senator J.D. Vance, who was recently announced as Trump’s running mate, calling it a “great decision.”
Now, by turning Twitter (formerly TwitterX) into an unofficial and very flamboyant Trump campaign platform, Musk is trying to nail the lid shut on the coffin.
While the social media network was far from perfect, Musk did extensive damage to it by essentially abandoning content moderation and allowing hate speech to flourish.
The numbers paint a clear picture: X is losing users as people seek a greener, less bot-prone and less racist environment.
The company has also been hit hard by a sharp decline in advertising revenue, due in large part to Musk’s poor behavior and mismanagement.
As always, it’s unclear why Musk is so enthusiastic about backing a convicted felon and former reality TV host, and the two rarely see eye to eye.
For example, in 2020, Musk called Trump a “cold loser,” and in 2022, Trump called Musk’s purchase of Twitter a “terrible” deal and accused him of “yet another bullshit show.”
Is this a matter of ideological alignment, or is Musk just a profit-driven, mercurial CEO determined to dismantle the US government piece by piece from the inside?
Given his track record so far, it’s probably a combination of both.
More on Twitter: Elon Musk calls for “criminal prosecution” of people who don’t hand over money