Truth Social, Donald Trump: A US president building a dangerous social media empire in a divided America

Donald Trump has two ways he communicates through the media, on television, mostly on Fox News, and via social media — mostly in capital letters.

As he prepares to return to the White House what will become of his online mouthpiece Truth Social, which he started himself after being booted off Twitter before it was bought by his billionaire confidant Elon Musk?

Will he continue to use the platform to push his agenda or will he be content with the White House media apparatus to carry out his bidding? Possibly a combination of both.

Mr Trump has always existed with his finger on the pulse of the Western zeitgeist. With appearances in commercials for the No.1 US pizza chain Pizza Hut, or his entertainment career making hit reality program The Apprentice, the billionaire has always had an astute knack for connecting with Americans that he shares so little in common with.

As Mr Trump alienated mainstream media with his “fake news” accusations, the former president and now president-elect found a way to redefine truth, in a way that connected to the throngs of disillusioned Americans that adore him and his outspoken, no questioning welcomed views.

The republican launched Truth Social through Trump Media & Technology Group in 2022, almost two years after he left the White House in 2021.

Its creation was a direct response from the January 6 Capitol Riots in Washington DC.

Following the attack on the heart of American democracy, something Mr Trump labelled a “day of peace”, the former president was banned from the then-named Twitter and Facebook by it’s executives.

As Mr Trump decried “fraudulent election”, refusing to accept that President Joe Biden had won the 2020 race to the White House, Truth Social, which was labelled a Twitter clone, was born.

The creation of Truth Social could be seen as one of the earliest signs that Mr Trump was considering a return to the Oval Office to finish his job.

When he was banned from the then-named Twitter, Mr Trump, who used the handle @realDonaldTrump, had amassed 88.7 million followers, an increase of over 85 million since first announcing his presidential campaign in 2015.

Instead of existing in a space that he could be banned, a space filled with both Democrats and Republicans that could as easily support his as they could ridicule him, Mr Trump created his own space where he could right the rules.

The use of social media during Mr Trump’s first presidency was profound.

The 45th President of the United States had no qualms about posting whatever he wanted, a strategic ploy that saw his views garner more public attention through followers and the media.

His account allowed him to bypass traditional channels used by president’s and speak directly to his people.

From announcing “Mexico will pay for the wall!”, to entering into an unusual power measuring competition with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un about the ease of access to the “nuclear button” on their desks and how fast they worked, Mr Trump got his message out, regardless of how heavily based in fact it was.

So, as Mr Trump prepares to begin his second administration, one he won by an overwhelming majority in both the electoral vote and popular vote, the president-elect holds more power than ever, existing in a self-owned social media haven where he is accountable to no one.

The soon to be 47th President of the United States has used his platform, mainly exclusively, as he prepared and won the 2024 election.

His messages on the platform are mixed, a jumble of direct, baseless, bizarre and often widely believed to be fact.

He warned terrorist organisation Hamas through a post on Truth Social that there would be “hell to play” if hostages weren’t freed by his January 20 inauguration.

Posting a now viral video of Mr Trump and former President Barack Obama at Jimmy Carter’s funeral in January, Mr Trump shared content with doctored audio, showing the two presidents talking down failed Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris.

He has shared fake images of Ms Harris with accused sexual abuser and musician Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. He declared his hate for pop-country singing sensation Taylor Swift. He shared an unverified letter from porn star Stormy Daniels dated January 30, 2018, denying that the two ever had an affair.

From attempting to clear his own name with his own evidence, to rallying his supporters to “fight like hell” and “swamp the vote”, Mr Trump has activated a core group of Republicans, especial those supporting the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, creating an unbalanced echo-sphere of American’s only willing to accept the president-elect’s truth.

The platform was part funded and established by an “open cheque” from ARC Capital, a Shanghai based firm that assisted with the creation on special-purpose acquisition company Digital World Acquisition Corp so that Truth Social could become a publicly listed company.

The companies have links to Shanghai, Wuhan, Mexico City, and Jakarta according to Bloomberg News, with operational links to the offshore tax haven of the Cayman islands.

After launch, the company’s stock price soared, reaching an all time high in March 2022, before flatlining from late 2022 to early 2024.

The platform has struggled with its active user base, vital for the profitability of the company through ad sales. Data from Statisca showed the site has only five million active users in November 2024, far short of competitor X’s 611 million active base

It is unclear how financially integral the success of the project is to Mr Trump, with the international business ties also raising question over potential conflicts for it’s Republican owner while in office.

However, it’s use is expected to be vital during Mr Trump’s second presidency.

For years, he posted exclusively on the platform, however, since being allowed back on the now named X under new owner and Trump ally, Elon Musk, the president has used both platforms, with content posted on Truth Social hours before being duplicated on X.

From January 20, eyes of the world will be focused on Truth Social, eagerly waiting for the unpredictable president-elect’s next outburst, with those watching knowing the messages posted have the power to spark global reaction, pressure diplomacy through strength or threat, or to make Mr Trump once again go viral for sharing a fake AI generated “Swifties for Trump” image.

Truth Social might not save America, but Mr Trump’s 47th presidency might save his financially troubled company.