Will Trump's return help X thrive?

The former US President's posting on X after more than two years of being locked out could be a turning point for the platform after months of turmoil.

Donald Trump posted on August 24 for the first time since January 2021, when his account was locked after the riot at the US Capitol. He posted a photo of his prison records after appearing in Georgia on more than 20 charges after the 2020 election. Trump also posted a link to raise funds for his campaign.

Nine months after his account on X (formerly Twitter) was restored, Trump has returned to the social network that was once his favorite communication tool. Trump's return could be a turning point for X after months of turmoil.

Trump currently has nearly 87 million followers, a number that could grow further ahead of the 2024 US presidential election.

Former US President Trump posted a photo of a prison file on social media. Screenshot — Former US President Trump posted a photo of a prison file on social media. *Screenshot*

X boss Elon Musk seemed to welcome Trump's return. Musk has long encouraged politicians and public figures to post on X to boost their user numbers. He shared Trump's post and wrote, "Level up." Musk then commented, "Your reach is incredible."

If Trump decides to post regularly on X, it would be a major boost for the platform amid increased competition. Following Musk’s controversial policies, a number of Twitter-like platforms have emerged, including Meta’s Threads. According to data firm Similarweb, traffic to X dropped more than 9% in the week ending in mid-July compared to the same period a year earlier.

Musk’s changes also angered many businesses, who pulled their advertising from the platform. Advertising remains X’s core business.

When he was President, every post Trump made on Twitter at that time shook the market and stirred up the media. This benefited Twitter by attracting a large number of visitors to the platform. Even after his account was locked, Trump was mainly active on the social network he created - Truth Social, X will still help him reach a larger audience for his election campaign.

“Trump’s return will be positive for X at a time when the platform needs traffic,” Tom Forte, an analyst at DA Davidson, said on August 25. This could help X attract advertisers back.

However, it could also raise concerns among other customers that their ads will appear next to negative, controversial content. Musk has reduced the level of censorship on the platform.

Last month, Musk said the company was still cash-flow negative, as core advertising revenue fell 50%. But a few weeks later, CEO Linda Yaccarino said the company was “close to breaking even.”

X executives say advertisers are returning, thanks to new brand safety controls. But at least two brands recently stopped advertising on the platform after seeing their products appear next to a pro-fascist account. X has since suspended the account, saying the page’s ad reach was negligible.

Twitter has been relatively lenient in its crackdown on Trump’s account in the past. Forte said he will be closely monitoring the impact of Trump’s return to Twitter’s advertising business. “It could have a positive impact, but there is a risk that controversial statements could stifle ad sales,” he said.

It’s also unclear whether Trump will actually be active on X after his August 24 post, as the content was intended to raise money and is similar to what he posted on Truth Social. After Facebook reinstated Trump’s account earlier this year, many of his posts there were also intended to raise money for his campaign.

In addition, after posting on X, Trump still returned to the social network he created. "I love Truth Social. This is my home," he wrote.

Ha Thu (according to CNN)

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