Twitter became the platform for the national divide on Presidents Day this year. The social media network began the day with over 60k mentions of its former President Donald Trump. Parler made a grand entrance on Monday— as the rightist social media app is known for its free speech. Yet, even after everything Trump and Parler have been through— including the alleged deal— the right-wing app was not where the former President was trending. By noon, Trump became a highlight on Twitter.
Parler, the social media network known for its right-wing users and opinions, which also went viral following the riots, returned online. The app and website were dehosted by App stores like Google and iOS, along with Amazon Web Services. But on Monday, the company made a statement. It “announced” the “official relaunch” on the day. It said it now relied on technology that was “independent” and “sustainable.” It also called the network, the social media platform with the “number 1” free speech globally. The app has over 20 million subscribers. The Interim CEO, Mark Meckler, said that they had “kept their promise” and had come back “stronger than ever.”
Twitter’s Dominance By Trump
Trump’s dominance on Twitter was polarized. There were several who called for his arrest— following the second impeachment being carried out. But there were also others who came out in support of the former President. The supporters of the former President also offered their well-wishes to him. But there were other voices hoping for him to run for office again in 2024.
But all this commotion seems healthy for Twitter. It has banned Donald Trump from the platform— but certainly not all the followers. And this kind of political debate is what social media platforms like Twitter feeds off of. There is a part of it that is even more absurd or interesting to many. That is the fact that Trump has not been active on social media at all recently. He is also reportedly happy to ditch these platforms.
