“It’s a Very Primitive Social Media Environment”: Site Hatches Plan To “Bring Down” Trump’s Truth Social Network

William FurneyDec 1, 2023

Minute Read

Hackers aligned with a website that fundraises to support Ukrainians in their battle against Russia are reportedly plotting to attack former president Donald Trump’s social media network ahead of next year’s US presidential election.

Battling Fake News

Activist group the North Atlantic Fella Organization says its global collaborators, known as “Fellas”, “combat disinformation in social media spaces.”

‘Not an Easy Task’

The group’s chief, who goes by the fake name Rock Kenwell, told technology website Wired that the plan was not only daring but potentially also difficult.

‘Aggregator for Extremism’

Kenwell said: “The goal we have in mind, which is lofty, is to help bring the platform down ahead of the 2024 election. We know it’s going to be an aggregator for extremism and probably violence the way things are looking at this point.”

Trump’s Own Social Media Platform

The former president was a prolific user of Twitter — now called X, after billionaire Elon Musk bought the platform and renamed it — but was kicked off the network after he used it to urge his supporters to protest the result of the 2020 presidential election.

2020 Debacle

Trump had been seeking re-election but lost the vote to Joe Biden. Trump refused to accept the result, claiming — falsely, it would turn out — that the election was “rigged” and “stolen” from him.

Call to Protest

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Thousands of Trump supporters turned out at Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, as Biden was being confirmed the winner of the election. Clashes broke out between the supporters and police and security guards, and five people lost their lives. Over a thousand protesters were arrested, many of them having since been jailed.

Building New Network

Following his Twitter ban — which the company said was for violating its Glorification of Violence Policy — Trump set about creating his own social media company. Just over a year later, he launched Truth Social.

Truth Social’s Problems

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But the network has failed to catch on with the public, with most accounts created by Trump supporters and right-wing groups. The platform says it “is America’s ‘Big Tent’ social media platform that encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating on the basis of political ideology.”

Truth in the Numbers

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Truth Social has around 2 million monthly active users, compared to X, which has about 541 million. Facebook, by comparison, has a massive almost 3 billion users; YouTube, 2.5 billion; and Instagram, 2 billion.

Truth Social Profit and Loss

Trump’s new social media network has lost $31.6 million since it was launched, in early 2022, but posted a profit of $50.5 million last year, according to newly filed accounts. The company has launched 20 lawsuits against media outlets that falsely reported its financial situation.

Trump’s Twitter (X) Return

Following Musk’s purchase of Twitter, the entrepreneur ran a poll asking if Trump should be reinstated. The majority said yes, so Trump was readmitted to the platform, but still mostly posts on Truth Social, with a feed from it posted to X, under an account called Trump Daily Posts.

‘Primitive Platform’

The Ukrainian hackers have called Truth Social “a very easy platform to manipulate. It’s a very primitive, social media environment.” They said they would be using it themselves to post pro-Ukrainian messages amid the ongoing war with Russia.

Biden on Truth Social

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The group says they decided to try and take down Truth Social after President Biden’s re-election team joined the platform in October, and rapidly gained more followers than Trump.

2024 Election Lineup

Trump and Biden are the leading candidates for their respective Republican and Democratic party nominations for the 2024 presidential election, following primaries to be held early next year. Both men face questions from their parties and voters, particularly over their advanced years.

The Age Problem

President Biden is 81 and already the oldest person to have become US president, and Trump is just a few years younger, at 77. Between them, they have suffered a recent series of blunders and trips and falls, further heightening concern over their age and ability. A growing number of people say they would prefer younger and more dynamic candidates, according to recent polls.

Trump’s Legal Issues

And president Trump is facing the daunting prospect of having to fight off four indictments carrying a total of 91 criminal charges as he heads into the 2024 election year — one of which alleges he tried to overturn the result of the 2020 election and prevent the peaceful transfer of power. He has pleaded not guilty.