After teasing a new social media platform, Trump debuts a new section on his website that's effectively a blog
A true poster never logs off for long — After months of promising his own social media network for banned posters, former President Donald Trump on Tuesday launched a new section …
The VergeMakena Kelly
Context & Ripple Effects
The website section gave Trump a direct publishing channel after his bans from Facebook and Twitter, but it was a narrower substitute for the social network he had teased. It was subsequently abandoned when the blog was permanently shut down, underscoring the gap between posting statements and operating a network.
Later coverage places the launch at the start of a more committed independence strategy: Trump declined Gettr and Parler offers in favor of his own venture, which became the announced TRUTH Social project and later opened to beta users.
First-order effects
Trump gains an owned outlet for distributing statements without relying on Facebook or Twitter, while readers must visit his website rather than encounter posts in a social feed.
The launch gives the promised social-media effort a stopgap publishing presence, but the blog format does not supply the user interaction or network structure implied by a social platform.
Second-order effects
Gettr and Parler lose an immediate opportunity to host Trump’s audience, a choice later reinforced by his decision to pursue an in-house startup rather than accept their offers.
A self-owned publishing channel shifts the near-term competition from access to Trump’s posts toward whether a future service can attract users beyond one prominent publisher.
Third-order effects
The sequence points to political media brands treating dependence on established platforms as a distribution risk and seeking owned outlets, from simple websites to dedicated networks.
If that model persists, the differentiator for new social services will be whether exclusive personalities translate into durable user communities rather than merely direct broadcast channels.
The trend: Platform bans are pushing prominent publishers toward owned distribution, with the strategic challenge shifting from publishing access to building a viable social network.
Tomorrow, Facebook's pseudo sorry supreme court - aka the Oversight Board - decides whether Trump is given back keys to his Facebook account. Whichever way this plays, it's a disaster for democratic accountability https://twitter.com/...
🚨President Trump's website is a great resource to find his latest statements and highlights from his first term in office, but this is not a new social media platform. We'll have additional information coming on that front in the very near future.🚨 https://www.foxnews.com/...
Donald Trump still doesn't have a Twitter account, and it's unclear if he'll regain access to Facebook tomorrow. But he's setting up a website that will essentially allow his followers to easily share his thoughts on social media. https://www.foxnews.com/...
Trump's new platform claims Section 230 protection :) “As a provider of interactive services, Save America is not liable for any statements, representations, or User Content provided by its users in any Interactive Area” https://twitter.com/...
Um, this “new platform” is just a blog on a personal web site that doesn't even have a comments section. It has changed the game back to before 2008. https://www.foxnews.com/...
The timing of Trump's blog launch is notable. There's a decision coming tomorrow from Facebook's oversight board on whether to let Trump back on the platform. Is Trump trying to get out ahead of something? https://twitter.com/...
Congratulations, it's a... blog from 2002. Actually, that's not fair. Say what you will about Instapundit, at least he linked to other people. https://twitter.com/...
Before Facebook's Oversight Board determines whether Donald Trump can post on its platform tomorrow at 9 a.m., I just want to remind everyone that their decision is not the law. Facebook asked people to do some content moderation, and those people said yes. That's it.
This “platform” seems to just be a press release page dressed up to look a little more like a social media feed https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
It's a website that when you try to automatically share his statements on Twitter, only the first few words come up as if they are a headline followed by a link. This is as simple as a 2008 Word Press Blog. Oh and Twitter can block it. Why didn't he add the @parler_app option? ht…
Hot take: Dan Scavino, Brad Parscale certainly hacked the systems but they don't actually know how to build a legitimate digital media business. https://twitter.com/...
the fact that the endgame to “Trump's gonna start a cable media network” and then “Trump's gonna start a social media network” is “someone made Trump a custom Wordpress that kind of looks like Twitter” is extremely fitting
Although, I am curious if the share buttons (once they work) would violate Facebook and Twitter's current bans on Trump? They've already ruled that he can't post on other peoples' accounts... I've asked! And am waiting! https://www.theverge.com/...
The internet: It's a blog Trump followers: He invented 30-dimensional chess beyond your comprehension The internet: Still a blog https://twitter.com/...
A @Facebook oversight board will announce this week whether Trump is allowed to have his account back. Regardless of the decision, @Twitter has said he can't use their platform again. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...