Staff Reports
In an unexpected turn of events, President Joe Biden's campaign embarked on a bold maneuver by establishing a presence on Truth Social, the social media platform founded by his political rival and likely opponent in the 2024 election, former President Donald Trump. The Biden team openly acknowledged that this move was primarily a jest, yet Trump couldn't resist taking a jab at Biden with a sarcastic "congratulations" for having the "wisdom" to join his social media platform.
In his signature style, Trump seized this opportunity to mix a backhanded compliment with an insult, using the platform to criticize Biden's leadership and his perceived shortcomings on the global stage. On a Saturday morning, Trump asserted that the world teetered on the brink of World War III due to what he perceived as Biden's ineptitude and clueless governance. However, he did concede that Biden had made a reasonable choice in joining Truth Social, referring to it as the "authentic voice of America."
But the Biden campaign's foray into Truth Social wasn't just for amusement. They strategically purchased advertising space on conservative outlets like Fox News, aiming to challenge Trump and Republicans by countering anti-Biden misinformation and holding the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement accountable within their own sphere. Campaign officials made it clear that they viewed their participation on Truth Social as an opportunity to disseminate their message within Republican circles and "engage with voters where they congregate."
Amazing news! This should bring 81,000,000 new accounts along with it!
Joe Biden’s Campaign Launches Account on Donald Trump’s Truth Social https://t.co/EMYdfIYLzw
— jim (@JimNYNVFL) October 17, 2023
Fox News initially broke the news about this plan, and the Biden campaign playfully shared the development on X-Twitter, inviting followers to join them on Truth Social for "truths and retruths or whatever they call them." The campaign even teased their first post on the platform, which would be a lighthearted "Well, let's see how this goes. Converts welcome!"
Surprisingly, what began as a trolling endeavor turned into a significant success for the Biden campaign. In just a few days, their Truth Social account had already surpassed the number of followers on the established Team Trump campaign account. As of Sunday afternoon, the Biden campaign account boasted over 36,700 followers, while the Trump campaign account had approximately 31,000.
When questioned about the Biden campaign's presence on Truth Social, the platform's administrators emphasized their commitment to being an open and inclusive platform, welcoming users from all around the world. In contrast, the Trump campaign responded through spokesman Steven Cheung, referring to Biden as "Crooked Joe" and accusing him of spreading falsehoods. Cheung confidently predicted that Biden's attempt to divert attention from his "disastrous record" would ultimately falter and that he would face significant backlash on Truth Social.
