President Trump’s attacks on the social media giant Twitter mark a return to a trusted playbook designed to rile up his base, distract attention from political jeopardy, and recast the most powerful man in the country as a victim, allies and political analysts say.
On Friday, White House officials and supporters rode in behind his lead to retweet and defend Trump’s incendiary messages.
“Twitter is targeting the President of the United States 24/7, while turning their heads to protest organizers who are planning, plotting, and communicating their next moves daily on this very platform,” wrote White House social media director Dan Scavino on the platform after it hid one of Trump’s tweets. “Twitter is full of shit — more and more people are beginning to get it.”
Overnight violence in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where protesters have gathered all week following the death of George Floyd in police custody, brought the issue to a head on Friday after days of growing tension.
“Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” posted Trump, provoking Twitter to say he had contravened rules on glorifying violence.
….These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
A day earlier, Trump signed an executive order designed to curb legal protections for social media companies that shield them from liability for content posted on their sites.
It followed a decision by Twitter to add notes to two of the president’s tweets that claimed mail-in ballots would lead to November’s election being “rigged.” The notes offered a link to readers to “get the facts.”
Industry figures said the executive order would have a political impact but little effect on users.
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales told the BBC: “A lot of what it sets out to do isn’t actually within the power of the president. So we view it really more as a political stunt than anything else.”
A former administration official familiar with White House strategy said the aim was to send a signal, defining the president as an outsider who is prepared to take on media elites.
“The president is a counterpuncher,” he said. “There’s nothing he likes better than this sort of fight.”
And that may be the biggest effect of the executive order, according to social media consultant Matt Navarra, who said users were unlikely to see much of a change to platforms other than waves of trolling by supporters on one side or the other.
Trump’s continuing broadsides were setting the tone, he added.
“I think we are going to see days or weeks of this behavior by him and the sort of supporters he has across social media,” he said. “And that’s going to be uncomfortable for a number of people, particularly those who work for Twitter.”
