Is Elon Musk using Twitter to manipulate support for Donald Trump?

Elon Musk is playing a dangerous game on Twitter, or X, as he now calls it. With the 2024 U.S. presidential election coming up fast, his actions on the platform are causing serious concerns. Is he using his X to steer support toward Donald Trump?

Recently, he posted a poll asking users if they identified as Democrat, Republican, or Independent. This poll grabbed attention instantly. Galaxy Digital’s CEO Mike Novogratz called Twitter “Fox News 2.0.” 

Elon ran another poll, this time pitting Trump against Kamala Harris. Surprise, surprise—Trump came out on top with 73% of the vote. Over 5.8 million users took part, and the result? A big win for Trump in what Elon himself admitted was an “unscientific” poll. 

Elon’s political games

Elon wasn’t always obsessed with Trump. But after the latter’s assassination attempt, the former took to X, saying: 

“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.”

That’s not all. Elon even hinted at setting up a pro-Trump political action committee (PAC), talking about donating $45 million a month. He later walked that back, but the message was clear: Elon is all in for Trump.

One of Elon’s more controversial actions was sharing a deepfake video of Vice President Kamala Harris. Critics slammed him for spreading misinformation, but this is part of a bigger pattern. 

Elon is clearly using Twitter to push political narratives, much like he accused the previous management of doing. Hypocrisy, anyone?

Twitter is about to die

Since Elon took over Twitter, the platform has seen some serious changes. It’s no secret that it has become a haven for Republicans while pushing away Democrats. 

Accounts that were previously banned are popping back up, many of which are linked to hate speech and conspiracy theories. 

It’s getting to the point where you have to ask: Is X still a place for open dialogue, or is it just a megaphone for the far right?

Former Twitter employees aren’t staying quiet about it. They’ve accused Elon of trying to manipulate politics and tearing down what was left of the platform’s credibility. 

The relationship between Elon and Trump is growing stronger. Trump has even suggested that Elon could have a spot in his cabinet if he wins the election. We all know Elon has a massive political ambition he thinks no one can see.

This buddy-buddy dynamic between Trump and Elon is concerning. If Elon ends up with a seat in Trump’s administration, what does that mean for Twitter? Will the platform just become a mouthpiece for the government?

Research shows that since Elon took charge, there’s been a massive spike in hateful tweets. Elon’s hands-off approach to content moderation is making Twitter a hostile environment for many, while giving others the freedom to spread toxic views.

It’s not just the haters getting a boost. Accounts tied to far-right networks have seen a huge surge in engagement. After Elon took over, these accounts saw a 70% jump in retweets and a 14% rise in likes. 

Meanwhile, regular users didn’t see the same kind of growth. It’s pretty clear that Elon’s policies are favoring extreme voices, and that’s a big problem.