Social Media Showdown: The Online Drama Between President Trump and Elon Musk
In a digital age where personalities often eclipse platforms, the recent online confrontation between President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk has captivated audiences. This unfolding saga on X, previously known as Twitter, is a quintessential display of how social media can become a stage for high-profile conflicts.
Observers have been keen to engage with this drama, leading to a flurry of memes and discussions. While it remains uncertain if this will have long-lasting effects on X’s user base or advertising revenue, Elon Musk appears to appreciate the surge in activity. He even shared a meme on Thursday, hinting at the platform’s current boost in user engagement. Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, also shared her agreement.
Sarah Kreps, director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute, commented, “X operates as a personality-driven platform, and Musk’s high-profile conflicts can fuel engagement at least in the short term.” She further explained that the platform leverages spectacle as a growth strategy, often seeing traffic spikes during controversies.
Meanwhile, President Trump took to his own platform, Truth Social, to address the rift, posting three updates directed at Musk on Thursday. Despite Truth Social’s smaller audience compared to X, Trump has maintained his presence there, posting at least ten times on Friday. His return to X after being banned in 2021 saw his follower count rise to nearly 106 million, a stark contrast to his less than 10 million followers on Truth Social.
Kreps noted, “It’s a niche platform with limited reach outside Trump’s core base. That said, if Trump were to fully re-engage there and disengage from X entirely, it could fragment the right-wing audience somewhat.” However, she emphasized that X remains dominant in political discourse unless a significant user migration occurs.
Despite the ongoing feud, Trump hasn’t indicated any plans to leave X, nor has Musk suggested a ban. Meanwhile, BlueSky users have been entertained by the unfolding drama, sharing screenshots and commentary, although the platform is unlikely to attract Trump’s dedicated followers.
Kreps added, “It’s too early to measure any long-term shifts in user behavior, but political audiences on X have tended to be resilient, even in the face of controversy.” She believes that Trump supporters won’t abandon X unless there is a significant change in content moderation policies.
Regarding X’s advertising prospects, Emarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg expressed skepticism about the feud’s impact. “Advertisers who were spending small sums on the platform due to Musk’s proximity to Trump may rethink their commitments,” Enberg said. She also mentioned the ongoing FTC investigation into potential antitrust violations by advertising groups, which could influence brands’ decisions.
According to The New York Times, the FTC is probing whether certain groups coordinated boycotts among advertisers to avoid having their brands associated with controversial content.
Ultimately, Musk “remains a divisive figure, regardless of his position in the White House,” Enberg stated. She pointed out that efforts by X to reduce divisive content might be limited if Musk continues to use the platform to voice controversial opinions.
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