Donald Trump’s “TRUTH Social” in front of Twitter, TikTok on the Apple Store: Elon Musk
Elon Musk announced on April 27 that former US President Donald Trump’s social networking site “TRUTH Social” is the most popular social media app on the Apple Store. “Truth Social is currently beating Twitter and TikTok on the Apple Store,” the world’s richest man wrote on Twitter.
It’s still unclear what Musk was getting at with his tweet. However, following Musk’s takeover of microblogging site Twitter on Tuesday (IST), Trump informed FoxNews that he would never return to the platform. Musk said he agreed to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Trump, on the other hand, said he would officially join his own TRUTH Social within the next seven days, as scheduled.
“I’m not going to Twitter, I’m going to stay on TRUTH…I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’s going to make improvements there and he’s a good man, but I’m going to stay on TRUTH,” said the former US president noted in a statement. Trump has informed a US news website that he will start “TRUTH” in the coming week.
TRUTH Social, the social media network of Trump Media & Technology Group, launched last month. The company’s CEO is Devin Nunes, a former Republican congressman from California.
Following the Capitol Riot on January 6, 2021, Trump was permanently banned from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. A number of his tweets about the violent protests were deemed offensive by Twitter, which warned of “the risk of further incitement to violence”.
Musk’s Twitter deal
Additionally, when asked if a Twitter owned by Musk would be a threat to TRUTH, Trump said FoxNews that he thinks would be a good thing for the social media space. Notably, Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, took over Twitter in one of the biggest tech deals in history. Musk will pay around $44 billion for the social network, with shares valued at $54.20. On April 14, Musk announced his takeover attempt, calling it “the best and last offer.”
However, Twitter initially implemented a “poison pill defense” against the hostile takeover. Nonetheless, after Musk said he secured funding, Tesla’s board of directors began negotiations with the company’s co-founder. Musk met “in private with some shareholders of the firm to tout the merits of his idea” on Friday, according to the the wall street journaland also made video calls to them to make his case.