The end is nigh! Elon Musk may soon be the owner of his own social media platform, and the Fourth Estate is having a meltdown over Trump’s Twitter return – which hasn’t happened yet, and very possibly might not. There’s still no guarantee the eccentric tech entrepreneur will buy the company, and the former president has said he wouldn’t abandon his own Truth Social to take back the little blue bird even if the invitation does come. But a look at the headlines this week from the establishment press shows the left is certain Trumpageddon is just around the corner.
The Mercurial Mr. Musk
Despite spending months trying to back out of his $44 billion deal with Twitter, Elon Musk now seems ready to pull the trigger. In a letter to the social media company on October 3, he offered to take Twitter private at his original proposed price of $54.20 a share. The deal could certainly fall apart still, as this is the second time he has changed his mind about buying the company, and he is well known for last-minute swings.
Whether the mercurial Mr. Musk will or even can make it happen by the end of the month is a matter that appears to be up for debate, but for the media, it seems the matter is settled: Musk is buying Twitter. He’s inviting Donald Trump to come back. The former president will take him up on that offer, and, of course, the world will go to Hell in a handbasket the moment it happens. Elections will fall apart, misinformation will allow Republicans to sweep the field, and society will begin to collapse entirely. It sounds dramatic, sure, but that’s the picture painted by the press.
The Media Meltdown
Perhaps Trumpageddon is taking things a bit far, but certainly not by much. “If Musk follows through on the deal – and if he stands by his prior plan to reverse Trump’s ban – the Republican ex-president could potentially resume tweeting in time to make an impact on the November midterm elections,” a CNBC article reported. The author cited Jonathan Nagler, co-director of NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics, who believes Trump’s Twitter return could “cut both ways.” He evokes the image of a newly inspired MAGA base rallying to the polls, only to be met by all the moderate Republicans who would be reminded of how badly they don’t want another four years of the Donald. Add in to that the mass of Democrats driven by their own hatred for the former president, and it calls to mind a trio of armies colliding on the field of battle.
Vanity Fair – not exactly a bastion of unbiased journalism to begin with – took things much further:
“Again, no one can say for sure, but one thing we can say with a high level of confidence is that if Musk actually buys Twitter this time – and that remains a big if! – he’s very likely going to turn it into a right-wing cesspool featuring the worst people on earth – starting with Donald Trump.”
That right-wing cesspool, their title suggests, could hand Trump the 2024 election. The New York Times agrees that it might lead to Trump winning the White House in two years – all because of misinformation, of course – and NPR fears “Allowing Trump and others to return could set a precedent for other social networks, including Meta-owned Facebook.” There goes the neighborhood, NPR? It seems nothing brings out the media’s left-wing bias quite like a fresh case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Trump’s Twitter
The question of the day, of course, is whether the Donald will, in fact, have his triumphant return. As the Vanity Fair author posits, it’s still a big if. The deal could fall through yet. Twitter’s rank-and-file employees – most of whom are outspoken progressives – could revolt, causing all sorts of issues. Musk might buy the company and never extend that invitation to come back. And of course, Trump could stick to his word and just ignore the social media giant in favor of his own dear Truth Social.
(Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
All of those outcomes are possible. But let’s face the facts – he’s almost certainly coming back if the ban is lifted. Even if the Donald truly prefers his current platform, the world is on Twitter, not just his fans. The chances Trump would pass up the opportunity to get back in front of that many people, especially if he’s thinking about running again in 2024, are slim to none.
So who might join the former president on the platform? Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Alex Jones of Infowars fame, and My Pillow’s Mike Lindell are just a few of the biggest names banned by the blue bird at present, and each has asked Musk to be reinstated. Then there’s controversial virologist and immunologist Dr. Robert Malone, who was booted for his COVID opinions. Steve Bannon and Project Veritas’ James O’Keefe could make a return as well – as could right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos and The Babylon Bee. Is it any wonder the prospect has progressives crying doom?
