Since leaving the White House, former U.S. President Donald Trump has worked tirelessly to solidify his position in the media world. In 2021 he founded the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the company behind a number of media products, including the Truth Social network, created to compete with Twitter. “I created Truth Social and TMTG to challenge the tyranny of Big Tech. We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, but your favorite American president has been silenced,” Trump explained as he unveiled plans to create his social network.
To date, Trump’s media conglomerate has raised just over $1 billion from private investors. The company is currently led by former Republican Congressman Devin Nunes, who left his position in the House of Representatives in December to join the efforts to return Trump to the public eye, with a view towards the 2024 election.
Key Date: Truth Social, also known as “the social network of truth,” was launched on February 21. The date wasn’t chosen randomly. “President’s Day,” which pays tribute to all those who have held that office since the country’s independence, is observed on that date as it also marks the birthdate of George Washington, the first U.S. President.
Back in the ring: Trump used social media, especially the Twitter platform, as his best weapon to communicate with his followers during the 2016 electoral campaign. He continued the practice while in the White House where he established himself as a hyper-connected President. However, following the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 by thousands of supporters as a protest against what they considered electoral fraud, the former President has been banned by Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for his role in those grievous events. Hence, he and his team dove headlong into designing his own network in an effort to counter his ban from the world’s top three digital platforms.
Since its launch, Truth Social, which for the moment is only available on the Apple app store and for the United States, has become a download craze: everyone wants to know what Trump is up to with his new controversial foray. The appearance is very similar to Twitter’s. Users of the network will be able to post comments, called “Truths,” as if they were normal tweets. These so-called truths can be shared by other users, similar to a retweet, by sending a “re-truth.” Trump’s network also allows users to share multimedia content, such as images, videos, GIFs, and also reply to private messages.
As of a few days ago, the app had 150 thousand subscribers. The El País newspaper tried to download the application through its correspondent in Washington, D.C., but received the following message: “Due to high demand, we have put you on the waiting list. We love you, and you are not a number to us, but your number on the waiting list is 219,351.″ According to El País the network will be fully operational by the end of March.
The fine print: However, a few days after the launch, the first reports of censorship on Trump’s new social network began to appear. The fact is that Truth Social’s terms of service explain that users cannot “disparage, defame or harm us and/or the website” and limits speech when it comes to talking about Trump and other platform owners. Web developer Matt Ortega’s experience laid the situation bare. “It turns out that the developer created a user name that was later deleted before he had even gotten around to posting any messages,” according to Mashable, a media outlet. The reason: The username was @DevinNunesCow. It was a name very similar to the @DevinCow parody Twitter account, which had become popular when it was called out by Republican Congressman Devin Nunes, who is Truth Social’s CEO. “After careful review, we have decided to permanently delete your account due to violations of Truth Social’s community guidelines,” read the email Matt Ortega received upon finding that his account had been deleted.
Media and merchandising: “Donald Trump has turned his post-presidential term into a cash register. The real estate business has now been joined by the Trump Store, where a tray to make four ice cubes with the Trump letter ‘T’ logo costs US$ 35, and a robe costs US$ 185. For a front row seat to one of his speeches, plus a reception and the chance to have a photograph taken with him, his followers can expect to pay up to US$ 8,500. This is how in 2021 the former President managed to raise more than twice as much as the Republican National Committee, an unprecedented feat for a politician who is not in elected office and who has not even made clear his intention to seek reelection in 2024,” explains Antonia Laborde, El País correspondent in Washington.
In November, Trump also published a book of photographs of his presidential term, distributed by Winning Team Publishing, the publishing house co-founded by his son Donald Trump Jr. The book, titled, “Our Journey Together,” includes 300 photographs accompanied by brief captions supposedly written by the former President. The book costs US$ 74.99. The signed copy was priced at US$ 229.99. It sold out in less than two months and now to get a copy you have to go on eBay, where they are selling for between US$ 1,000 and US$ 2,000.
Trump’s golf club at Mar-a-Lago (Palm Beach, Florida) held a 2021 “Take Back Congress Candidate Forum.” Tickets per couple went for as much as US$250,000 and guaranteed a private dinner and photo with Trump, as well as VIP seating at the event. There was also the “option” of renting a room at the resort during the meeting. “Proceeds from the event will not go to the candidates’ campaigns, but to Trump’s political action committees — the Super PACs — which offer the unique advantage of being able to take unlimited funds,” according to The Washington Post.
