Why Did Trump Launch His Own Social Media App
Tech platforms such as Facebook and Twitter made the rare move last year to bar Trump, a sitting president, from its services because of concerns his remarks would incite more violence after the deadly . Trump used these social networks to push baseless claims of election fraud after Joe Biden won the 2020 US presidential election.
When these companies suspended Trump, the former US president also lost his ability to reach millions of people.
In October 2021, TMGT announced it would launch a new social network, called Truth Social, that would roll out in the first quarter of 2022.
“What makes Truth Social different!? We are a social media platform that is free from political discrimination,” reads the app’s description. Social media companies have long denied allegations that they intentionally censor conservative speech, noting that they have rules against hate speech and inciting violence.
Trump has complained about the buggy rollout and why more people aren’t using the app, The Daily Beast reported in March. Trump didn’t share anything new on the app for two months, but he’s been posting regularly on the platform where he’s still pushing baseless election fraud claims and his thoughts about the FBI search.
While Musk said he would allow Trump back on Twitter, the former president told Fox News he doesn’t plan to return to Twitter and instead will be using Truth Social.
Trump’s Truth Social Sees Uptick In Users After Fbi’s Mar
The average number of app downloads per day from Aug. 8-15 was more than five times the number the previous week.
Queenie Wong
Senior Writer
Queenie Wong is a senior writer for CNET News, who focuses on social media companies including Facebook’s parent company Meta, Twitter and TikTok. She previously covered social networks for The Mercury News in San Jose. Before that, she wrote about politics and education for the Statesman Journal in Salem, Oregon. A native of Southern California, she took her first journalism class in middle school.
Donald Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, saw an uptick in downloads after the FBI searched the former US president’s Mar-a-Lago home on Aug. 8.
Mobile and data analytics firm data.ai, formerly App Annie, said Truth Social had a total of 107,500 global downloads from Aug. 8 to Aug. 15. Truth Social had an average of 13,400 downloads per day during that time period, which was more than five times the number of average downloads the app saw from July 31 to Aug. 7.
Truth Social’s February rollout has been plagued with technical problems as well. Some people who downloaded the app saw error messages when they tried to create an account, while others were placed on a lengthy waitlist. Truth Social topped Apple’s charts for free apps several times, including the week in April that Elon Musk for $44 billion. Twitter and Musk are currently in a legal battle after he tried to back out of the deal.
Can You Say Anything You Want On Truth Social
No. Like other social networks, the app has rules users agree to when they accept the app’s terms of service.
One section, called prohibited activities, outlines everything users agree not to do. That includes tricking, defrauding or misleading the company and other users “especially in any attempt to learn sensitive account information such as user passwords” and filing “false reports of abuse or misconduct.”
You also aren’t allowed to impersonate other users or use any information obtained from the app to “harass, abuse or harm another person.” In some cases, Truth Social’s rules are more strict than Twitter’s. For example, Twitter allows users to post pornography if the content is marked as sensitive, but Truth Social says sexual content or language isn’t allowed.
User-generated content also can’t be false, inaccurate or misleading or include threats of violence, according to Truth Social’s terms of service. Apps such as Facebook and Twitter have similar rules, but users have disagreed with how the companies interpreted their policies.
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Trump Reportedly Now Fuming He Endorsed Dr Oz For Senate
Former President Donald Trump is increasingly upset he endorsed former TV personality Mehmet Oz to run for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania, sources have told Rolling Stone.
Hes going to f**king lose unless something drastically changes, Trump has complained about his pick, two sources who have discussed Novembers midterm elections with Trump told the publication.
Oz, a heart surgeon, is stumbling in the polls, and Trump has asked his confidants how someone once so popular on TV cant keep his numbers up, according to Rolling Stone. Trump, like Oz, had zero experience in politics before he was elected president but was well-known as a successful businessman and then for hosting the long-running Apprentice reality TV shows.
Trump has even privately asked advisers if it was a mistake for him to endorse Oz, Rolling Stone reported.
Yet Trump is staying the course. He announced Friday that he will travel to Pennsylvania for a Sept. 3 rally in support of Oz, highly controversial GOP Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano and the entire Pennsylvania Trump ticket.
In the latest of Ozs widely mocked blunders, he moaned in a video, originally made in April, about the high cost of crudité in a city that prefers Philly cheesesteaks. He also referred to the well-known Pennsylvania grocery store Redners, where he was shopping for raw vegetables, as Wegners.
John Fetterman
John Fetterman
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
Bolton: Almost Certainly A Lie
Trumps former national security adviser, John R. Bolton, told the New York Times he never heard of Trumps alleged standing order and that it is almost certainly a lie.
I was never briefed on any such order, procedure, policy when I came in, Bolton told the Times, nor was he aware of such a policy when he worked at the White House or after.
If he were to say something like that, you would have to memorialize that, so that people would know it existed, Bolton said.
Glenn Gerstell, former general counsel for the National Security Agency from 2015 to 2020 straddling the Obama and Trump administrations told us in a phone interview that if there was a standing order, he, too, was not aware of that.
If there was a standing order it doesnt appear to have been memorialized, Gerstell said.
The normal procedure to declassify information is quite detailed, Gerstell said. First, a determination has to be made that the information is something that is significant and in the public interest, and second, that it meets the threshold for declassification because it does not pose a security threat if revealed. The agency that initiated the classification would be notified and can weigh in on whether it thinks the information should remain classified. The president can override the agencys recommendation, but it would be taken into consideration.
And if nothing was recorded or written down to explain what has been declassified, Gerstell said, How would you know its true?
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Florida Swing Voters Arent Sold On Desantis Or Rubio
For months, the general consensus has been that in Floridas two marquee midterm racesfor governor and U.S. Senatethe Republican candidates are likely to prevail. But recent polling shows both races tighter than expected for Ron DeSantis and Marco Rubio. On with a dozen Trump-to-Biden voters and these people explained why they were open to replacing both incumbents.
Lets start with the likely contest between DeSantis and former governor Charlie Crist. If the governors race in November is indeed DeSantis versus Crist, nine respondents said they would take Crist, two would take DeSantis, and one was undecided. Our swing voters described DeSantis as power-hungry, petty, an opportunist, egotistical, anti-abortion, and a bull in a china shop.
the revenge politics with the Reedy Creek Improvement District, explained B.J., 43, from Deland. Im a big Disney fan. That hit pretty close to home. There was just no point to it. It was just pure revenge politics. Also, I dont agree with how he handled the Covid pandemic, like restricting local municipalities, not allowing them to enforce mask mandates and things like that. I think that was highly inappropriate.
Lance, 27, from Orlando remarked, I disagree with DeSantis on quite a few things . . . Its purely just his stance on things. anti-abortion, primarily, anti-transgendermore the social issues.
Chris, 49, from Port St. Lucie, said,
About Ted Jackson Founder
Ted Jackson’s political experience is extensive, including roles in the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984 and George H.W. Bush in 1988. He served as campaign chairman for Kentucky’s largest county in President Bush’s 1988 race.
Ted has managed five Kentucky gubernatorial primary and general election campaigns from 1987-2007. He served as chairman and co-campaign manager for six consecutive winning congressional campaigns in one of the toughest districts in the South, KY-3. Respect for his four decades of experience and success beginning as congressional liaison in the Reagan Administration in 1981 often results in consultations from national and local press corps. Recently, Ted was quoted by the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, National Review, Washington Times, Politico, National Journal and the Louisville Courier-Journal on a variety of political matters.
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‘i Don’t Say His Name Ever’: Vulnerable Republicans Seek To Avoid Trump In 2022 Midterms
The man in charge of the House GOP‘s campaign strategy has been doling out advice to Republican candidates and incumbents in key battleground races as they prepare for the general election: Don’t be distracted by Donald Trump on the campaign trail, and instead focus on the issues Republicans believe will be most salient to voters in the midterms.
‘this Is Our Favorite Store’: The Trump Store In Bensalem Sees Wave Of Customers On Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day
BENSALEM, Pa. — The future of former President Donald Turmp, and whether it includes politics, is unclear. CBS3’s Matt Petrillo went to Bucks County to talk to Trump supporters and ask what’s next.
Take a look inside the Trump Store in Bensalem. People can buy everything from Trump shirts to masks and more. And it saw a wave of customers Wednesday.
“My son and daughter-in-law want a flag or something,” said Genie Mariano of Cheltenham.
The Trump Store opened just 11 months ago. The owner says business has been steady, even after the election.
“People are begging me to stay open. They say, ‘Please don’t close, this is our favorite store,’ and we have customers that come in every week,” owner Michael Domanico said.
Trump suggested Wednesday, while he is leaving the White House, he may not be not leaving politics.
“And I just want to say goodbye. Hopefully, it’s not a long-term goodbye, and we’ll see each other again,” he said.
But with Trump out of office and his first term stained by the deadly riot at our nation’s Capitol, observers say Trump’s political career is now in question, and the GOP appears fractured.
“I do think the party is having a real reckoning in this exact moment to determine whether or not they want him to be the head of the party,” said Rutgers University-Camden Professor Kelly Dittmar.
But some people, like Lynn Purificato of Bensalem, is happy Trump is out of office and hopes he does not return. She wants the Trump Store to close, too.
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The Trump Store Sells Donald Trump Hats Flags Signs And Face Masks
This story has been updated to clarify the jurisdiction of the land where the Myrtle Beach Trump Store is located.
When the carnival closes, the Trump Stores open.
On Sept. 18, Marion County resident and carnival owner Katie Wilson opened up the Trump Store on Conways Main Street next to Donzelles Restaurant.
On Sunday, she opened up her other location in the Myrtle Beach area at 2115 Highway 501 in the building that used to house North American Title Loans.
The Trump Store opened in Conway on Sept. 18. Photo by Christian Boschult
Wilson, a supporter of President Donald Trump, owns B& K Carnivals. But when COVID-19 put an end to large crowds, she had to figure out something else to do in the meantime.
A bunch of my other carnival friends, this is what we came up with to make do while were not able to work, Wilson said, adding that other carnival operators she works with are opening up stores in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and Panama City, Florida.
The store features Trump flags, face masks, snow globes, golf balls, posters, signs, and socks, to name a few, sourced from multiple suppliers around the Southeast. Flags and masks have been the best sellers, Wilson said.
The main thing is flags, she said. A lot of people buy the flags.
Sales have been decent at the Conway store, Wilson said, but she expects more customers once word gets out.
Dotson said she would come back after the election if she could.
Trump is us, Dotson said. We love Trump.
Whether Documents Were Classified May Be Irrelevant
According to property receipt records, among the items seized from Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 were three sets of records labeled either Confidential Document or Miscellaneous Confidential Documents three labeled Miscellaneous Secret Documents and four labeled Miscellaneous Top Secret Documents. One was listed as Various classified/TS/SCI documents, which stands for Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information.
Top secret is the highest level of classification because the classified information, if released, could cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security, as the National Archives explains on its Frequently Asked Questions page about the Information Security Oversight Office.
According to Executive Order 13526 issued in late 2009 by Obama, Confidential is the lowest category of classified information currently in use, while information whose release would cause serious damage is classified SECRET, and information whose release would cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security is classified TOP SECRET.
We still dont know the content of the documents, but their classification may be irrelevant to a possible case against Trump. None of the three laws cited as the predicate for the search and seizure warrant requires the documents be classified to run afoul of the law.
We cant tolerate a situation where national security information is being held in an unsecure location where our enemies could get at it, Gerstell said.
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Is Truth Social Just For Conservatives
Even though conservatives have been moving to alternatives outside of Facebook and Twitter such as Parler and Gettr, Truth Social doesn’t describe itself as an app for conservatives.
The app’s description says it has a “big tent” approach, and it describes an outdoor event tent at a wedding filled with libertarians, conservatives and liberals.
“Although we don’t always agree with each other, we welcome these varied opinions and the robust conversation they bring,” the description says.
To use the app, you do have to be at least 18 years old. Truth Social also launched a web version, but the service isn’t currently available on Android devices.
I Visited A Trump Superstore Full Of Trump Toilet Brushes And ‘bye
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I visited a Donald Trump superstore called Keep on Trumpin’ in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
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Richard Kligman, a co-owner, said business has been booming since he opened the shop in March 2022.
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The space was filled to the brim with everything from graphic T-shirts to talking Trump figurines.
When I was in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, I spotted a billboard advertising a Donald Trump superstore. My curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to stop in and pay the store a visit.
I turned into the parking lot and was greeted by a series of colorful pro-Trump flags and an air dancer in the former president’s likeness, wildly waving its arms at oncoming traffic.
Bookended between Klig’s Kites and a restaurant called “Goodfellas Seafood Hut” sits the brick-and-mortar Trump store, Keep on Trumpin’.
The jam-packed storefront features an animatronic mannequin of Trump waving a Lets Go Brandon flag at passersby.
As I snapped a photo of the mannequin, one customer walked by, chanting: “Let’s Go, Brandon.”
In order to access the store, you have to go through the main entrance of Kligs Kites, a retail shop selling kites, banners, and flags.
Once inside, I notice Klig’s and Keep on Trumpin’ are under the same roof.
However, the space is separated into two distinct parts, with the latter taking up approximately 2,000 square feet of retail space.
Kligman said the first location of their kite shop opened in 1982 in Myrtle Beach.
Why not open a Trump store?
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I Downloaded Truth Social But I Can’t Log In Why
Some people were placed on a lengthy waitlist to access Truth Social.
TMTG didn’t respond to questions about the app’s status, but some people are still reporting that they’re on a waitlist.
The app’s rocky rollout also sparked concerns from privacy researchers.
“There is no better sign of a rushed implementation than the fact that you can’t onboard anybody. So I’m hard-pressed to understand why anyone would trust that these people would keep their information safe,” Bill Fitzgerald, a privacy researcher, told The Washington Post.
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Style your maps with custom markers, lines, colors, polygons, and images. Give users the ability to create and share their own custom maps and use zoom, pinch, rotate, and tilt to explore maps in more detail. You can highlight your store locations with custom colors and elements. Or customize a virtual cycling path powered by Street View with unique markers, overlays, and photos.
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