Donald Trump’s Truth Social Endures Bumpy Presidents’ Day Weekend Debut

It was a mixed Presidents’ Day weekend debut for Truth Social, the new social platform from former President Donald Trump. While the application soared to the top spot among free apps on Apple’s App Store (it is not yet available for Android), the process was littered with roadblocks to entry including error messages and placing people on waitlists. Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch also reported that a scan of the application-programming interface for Truth Social, using publicly available tools, revealed that its “proprietary account registration microservice” is named “Pepe,” sharing a name with Pepe the Frog, a meme with racist connotations. Former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who resigned from the House of Representatives last December to become CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group, told Fox News Sunday that the company aims to have the app fully operational in the U.S. by the end of March. Trump’s motivation to launch his own social platform is driven by the fact that he was banned from all of the major ones, including Twitter and Facebook/Instagram, for his role in inciting the riots at the U.S. Capitol last Jan. 6 and his refusal to urge the rioters to halt their actions. Alternative social platforms including Gettr, Parler and Rumble have had their 15 minutes of fame as alternatives to Twitter for conservatives, but none has taken advantage of the opportunity to carve that niche. The Apple App Store description for Truth Social reads, “What makes Truth Social different? We are a social media platform that is free from political discrimination … Think of a giant outdoor event tent at your best friend's wedding. Who's there? The combination of multiple families from all over the U.S. and the world. Uncle Jim from Atlanta is a proud libertarian. Aunt Kellie from Texas is a staunch conservative. Your cousin John from California is a die-hard liberal. And guess what? They're all together to have an amazing time and share their different viewpoints on the world. Although we don't always agree with each other, we welcome these varied opinions and the robust conversation they bring.” Design-wise, Truth Social is barely distinguishable from Twitter. Users can create a profile with an avatar and background, and the app’s feed delivers posts from users a person follows, including photos and links. The app also offers a search function, notifications, direct messaging and dark mode. Users must agree to the Truth Social terms of service. Details on Truth Social began to emerge last October within a definitive merger agreement between Trump Media & Technology Group and special purpose acquisition company Digital World Acquisition, in which the latter agreed to fund the former’s growth plans with the $293 million it raised by completing its initial public offering last September. The two companies said at the time that the transaction valued Trump Media & Technology Group at $875 million, with a potential additional earnout of $825 million in additional shares (at the valuation they are granted), for a cumulative valuation of up to $1.7 billion, depending on the performance of the stock price post-merger. Trump, chairman of Trump Media & Technology Group, said in a statement last October, “I created Truth Social and TMTG to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech. We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American president has been silenced. This is unacceptable. I am excited to send out my first Truth on Truth Social very soon. TMTG was founded with a mission to give a voice to all. I’m excited to soon begin sharing my thoughts on Truth Social and to fight back against Big Tech. Everyone asks me why doesn’t someone stand up to Big Tech? Well, we will be soon.” Donald Trump Jr. teased the arrival of Truth Social in a tweet last week that shared his father’s first post on the new platform. https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1493713461452410885

Politics

Donald Trump’s Truth Social Endures Bumpy Presidents’ Day Weekend Debut

The app reached No. 1 on the Apple App Store chart for free apps, but people had issues signing up

David Cohen

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