Just a few short months ago, social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch banned the controversial president from their platforms after violent protestors stormed the US Capitol because of claims that the election was stolen. Since then, conservatives have scrambled to find a social media site that fits their unique brand of “free speech.” Now, they may have found their saving grace, as Donald Trump is poised to announce his own social media network that will, in all likelihood, cater to the MAGA ideology more than any iteration so far. “I do think that we’re going to see Pres. Trump returning to social media, in probably two or three months, with his own platform.” pic.twitter.com/csi3VUtzfs — Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) March 21, 2021 Miller also stated that former President Trump has had “many high-powered meetings” with “numerous companies” and that they believe they can attract “tens of millions” of users with the new platform. The news was later confirmed by the former president on a Fox News podcast called “The Truth,” during which Trump stated: Suffice it to say, it looks like the conservative world is going to finally get its presidential social media network. The real question is, will it survive? Parler is likely the most notable example of this social media trend. Dubbed the free speech social media site, it quickly became a breeding ground for conspiracy theorists, racists, and Capitol rioters to engage in behavior that would get you banned from other social media sites in an instant. Other apps that conservatives have flocked to post-ban include MeWe, Rumble, and Gab, although some of them are less than thrilled that their influx of new users are from a group of people known for trolling, bullying, and insurrection. Given the complicated nature of launching a conservative-based social media network, will Trump run into some problems down the road with his new platform? However, it’s not just a matter of attracting new users. As we’ve seen with past conservative-facing social media networks, navigating the troubled waters of tech companies that don’t want to host you and payment processors that don’t want to support you isn’t a walk in the park. Still, the swaths of the former president’s fans will likely carry this new platform to early success, but whether or not the tech side of it all can survive will be the real test of Trump’s social media savvy.
