Member-only story
Trump’s Social Media Megaphone: When Tweets, Truths, and X Replace Leadership
Platforms like Twitter—and later, Truth Social—became his primary tools for rallying supporters, silencing critics, and sidestepping traditional governance.
Trump’s Social Media Megaphone: When Tweets, Truths, and X Replace Leadership
Donald Trump’s presidency redefined how social media can function in the hands of a world leader, reshaping political discourse in ways both significant and unsettling. Platforms like Twitter—and later, Truth Social—became his primary tools for rallying supporters, silencing critics, and sidestepping traditional governance.
It’s worth reflecting on how his reliance on social media has often overshadowed the lack of substance of leadership.
The Social Media President
No other U.S. president has harnessed social media as aggressively as Trump. Barack Obama’s campaigns may have pioneered digital engagement, but Trump’s strategy was raw and unprecedented. His tweets weren’t meticulously crafted by a team—they were impulsive, incendiary, and often unfiltered. These 280-character bursts not only dictated news cycles…
