On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced that he was withdrawing from the 2024 presidential election. He delivered this message using X, a decision that highlights the medium’s power over politics, for better or worse.

X has the advantages that most social media networks possess over traditional news. Users can report stories more quickly than conventional outlets, as seen in the Trump assassination attempt. X also allows more press freedom. The COVID-19 lab leak theory and the Hunter Biden laptop story, which mainstream publications refused to publish, found an audience through X. These attributes of social media have their concomitant downsides, as false information and hateful views are popularized. But there are some elements of X’s influence that are unique.