The Facts
- Truth Social, former President Trump's social media app, has spiked in popularity this week and overtaken Twitter and TikTok to reach the top spot on Apple's US app chart.
- Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the reason Truth Social was doing so well was because Twitter is censoring free speech.
- Musk's comments come after his purchase offer was accepted by Twitter's board earlier this week. There's speculation he may be open to reinstating Trump's account, which was suspended following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Sources Split
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The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
Millions of users are flocking to Truth because it provides a voice for conservatives shut out by Twitter, plus anyone else is welcome. Besides, Truth now features unimpeachable, fast tech that is working hard to keep out the bots and fake accounts that plague Twitter.
Left narrative
A spike in downloads isn't a predictor of future success. Conservatives are showing interest in returning to Twitter after the Musk news, while would-be subscribers to Truth are landing on a wait list. It's a long row to hoe for Trump's platform, which even he hasn't used since making one post upon its launch.
Cynical narrative
Trump might claim he's not going to return to Twitter, but considering how important it was to him before his ban, one has to expect his desire for the attention and the wider audience Twitter provides will lure him back.
Metaculus Prediction
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