Donald Trump’s Truth Social app was released last week for Presidents’ Day. Launching a new product during a holiday weekend was unusual timing, but Trump presumably wanted to remind people he was once president.
Truth Social notably resembles Twitter. Trump was notoriously fond of Twitter, making frequent use of the social media platform. However, his account there was banned after his election disinformation claims and apparent support for the subsequent U.S. Capitol rioting on Jan. 6, 2021.
Truth Social was purportedly created by Trump to stand up to Big Tech. Still, the app is available from Apple and is expected before long from the Google Play Store.
Truth Social’s tagline is “Follow the Truth,” but questions remain about how the new social media platform is unique or differentiated from Twitter.
At first blush, Truth Social is a right-wing alternative to Twitter, much like what Gettr and Parler already offer. Trump’s platform purports to encourage “open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology.” These claims of celebrating open conversation and “free speech” appear dubious, however, when looking at the platform’s prohibited activities.
Users of Truth Social must agree to not tarnish or disparage the site. Such determination is based on the opinions of those running the platform. A section also warns users must not excessively employ capital letters, despite the all-caps branding of Truth Social’s FOLLOW THE TRUTH slogan at launch. (It appears to have since been toned down.)
So, what’s in a name for Truth Social?
“Truth” is the state of being true, which is in accordance with fact. Posting “truths” — rather than “tweets” on Twitter — suggests statements that can be substantiated (i.e., be proven true or false).
But Trump has persistently muddled what is considered the truth by offering “alternative facts” and questioning the legitimacy of the media as an institution.
By Trump’s presentation, “truth” represents an opinion: telling it like it is and not holding back from expressing your unfiltered thoughts.
“Bravado” is acknowledged by Trump as central to his self-promotion. In his 1987 book “Trump: The Art of the Deal,” he wrote, “People want to believe that something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular. I call it truthful hyperbole.”
The name of Trump’s new app appears oxymoronic.
The logo of Truth Social, meanwhile, employs a capitalized “T” that closely resembles the visual design of Trailar, a British company that offers solar panel technology for vehicles. Trailar is expected to sue Truth Social for trademark infringement.
From the onset, the brand authenticity of Truth Social is doubtful. Evidently, the brand lacks originality. Still, don’t expect Truth Social’s marketing communications to lack bluster.
