The First Tweet War
Trump has turned his personal social media account into one of America’s principal instruments of war — and so far, the results have been absurd
World leaders have used social media throughout the two decades of its existence, but never in the entire history of warfare, despite a steady buildup, has there been anything quite like what we are witnessing this time with Trump. Through an obsessive use of his personal account, he issues threats, retreats with explanations that nobody buys, changes the subject, announces that a deal has been reached, threatens again — while everyone else loses their minds, more or less.
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The backdrop, of course, is awkwardness unprecedented. Iran has already pocketed an overflowing basket of concessions that Trump granted on the very issues that led to the war in the first place — which only whetted its appetite. It is now demanding control of the Strait of Hormuz while periodically firing on commercial shipping and America’s Gulf allies. It is difficult to understand exactly what the Iranian regime is thinking. But it is equally clear that the president’s humiliation has reached the point where, politically, it rivals the prospect of restarting an unpopular war just months before the November midterm elections. So what will happen? The clues arrive in daily barrages of posts on Truth Social, the platform Trump owns.
On Friday he posted a video of himself declaring: “We’re going to be hitting them very hard. Because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming. They’re asking us not to do it.” The U.S. government promptly issued travel advisories urging Americans to prepare to leave the Middle East. Israel placed the entire country on high alert. Trump was taken seriously. He had to be.
Throughout Saturday, Trump posted dozens of messages: heavily retouched images of himself leading soldiers in what appeared to be a Civil War uniform; declaring Venezuela America’s 51st state; glaring menacingly at Greenland; announcing peace in Gaza; hinting that he would seek an unconstitutional third term; posting images of attack aircraft; kissing a crucifix; walking alongside an alien; a montage in which half his face was George Washington’s; claiming that he ages in reverse; and insulting Bruce Springsteen.
Then, on Sunday at 5:05 am: “The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.” Odd, perhaps especially the appropriation from ISIS of the word “terror.”
If we are to believe this, a deal has “been agreed to.” Except no one believes this. Iran swiftly denied all of it – and the absurd thing is that – evil and potentially crazy though they may be – they may have more credibility than the U.S. leadership at present.
Is this weirdness helping or hurting?
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