Media executives say that some brands were preparing to advertise on X once again, as Elon Musk was likely to gain an influential Trump administration role
Some brands had abandoned the site over moderation concerns — Elon Musk's support for Donald Trump is set to boost X's flagging business …
Context & Ripple Effects
X had been trying to preserve advertiser confidence since Musk’s takeover, while marketers later told clients to avoid or halt activity after his comments. The prospect of brands returning therefore marks a potential break from the early brand-safety reassurances and the subsequent agency retreat.
The story also follows Musk’s increasingly explicit support for Trump, making political proximity—not only platform moderation—a relevant factor in how media buyers assess X’s commercial prospects.
First-order effects
- Some brands that had left over moderation concerns may reopen discussions about buying X ads, giving X a near-term opportunity to restore demand for its flagging ad business.
- Media executives and agency teams must reassess whether a possible Musk role in a Trump administration changes the reputational and business case for being present on X.
Second-order effects
- A return by recognizable brands could make it easier for other advertisers to test X again, because the perceived cost of being absent—or of being associated with the platform—would change alongside peer behavior.
- X can pitch prospective buyers on its owner’s political influence as well as audience reach, shifting negotiations away from moderation concerns alone; later coverage of Amazon increasing its X ad spending is consistent with that reassessment.
Third-order effects
- If this pattern persists, social-platform ad allocation could become more sensitive to owners’ political access and advertisers’ regulatory or government-relations priorities, not solely to brand-safety standards.
- That would leave agencies balancing two durable but competing client needs: insulating brands from controversial content while maintaining access to platforms whose owners have unusual political leverage.
The trend: X is an early example of political alignment and perceived access becoming a more consequential input in platform advertising decisions.