Is this (finally) the end for X? Delicate Musk-Trump relationship and growing rivals spell trouble for platform; The Guardian, November 17, 2024

Siân Boyle , The Guardian; Is this (finally) the end for X? Delicate Musk-Trump relationship and growing rivals spell trouble for platform

"As recently as 2022, Musk tweeted that “for Twitter to deserve public trust, it must be politically neutral, which effectively means upsetting the far right and the far left equally.” He tweeted that “Trump would be 82 at end of his term, which is too old to be chief executive of anything, let alone the United States of America.”

Months later, when Musk bought Twitter for $44bn, he fired content moderators and charged for account verification, which meant people could buy influence. Twitter was rebranded to X, shed millions of users and reinstated Trumps’s account, suspended after the White House insurrection in January 2021.

The proliferation on X of alt-right diatribe, hate speech and bots, as well as Musk’s own clash with the UK government during the riots in August, have led to mounting disquiet among X users. The Guardian and Observer announced last week that their presence on the site was now untenable and they would no longer post. Stephen King, the author, left, saying it had become “too toxic”. Oscar-winners Barbra Streisand and Jamie Lee Curtis have departed the platform.

“X has become effectively Truth Social premium,” said Mark Carrigan, author of Social Media for Academics, referring to Trump’s hard-right social media platform. And the talk in technology circles is that Trump’s Truth Social could be folded into X.

If that happens, whose interests take priority? Would Musk suppress criticism of the authoritarian governments he does business with, or promote it? In the Donald and Elon media show, who is the puppet or paymaster?

“If that happens, it will be the ultimate amplification machine for Trump’s ideas – a political super-app masquerading as social media,” said James Kirkham of Iconic, which advises brands including Uber and EA Sports on digital strategies. “Forget Facebook or Fox News; the true heart of the GOP’s digital strategy could be X.”"

BLUESKY SURGES WITH 700,000 NEW MEMBERS AS USERS FLEE X AFTER US ELECTION; CEO Today, November 12, 2024

CEO Today; BLUESKY SURGES WITH 700,000 NEW MEMBERS AS USERS FLEE X AFTER US ELECTION

"Bluesky Surges with 700,000 New Members as Users Flee X After US Election: A Social Media Revolution in the Making

In the wake of the US election, a quiet revolution has been unfolding in the world of social media. The platform Bluesky has seen a dramatic increase in user growth, with over 700,000 new members joining in just one week following the election results. This surge has propelled Bluesky’s user base to 14.5 million globally, up from 9 million in September. The platform’s meteoric rise is largely attributed to disillusioned social media users seeking a safer, more regulated alternative to X (formerly Twitter), especially after the platform underwent a radical transformation under Elon Musk's ownership and his association with US president-elect Donald Trump.

Bluesky, which originated as a project within Twitter before becoming an independent platform in 2022, has quickly become a refuge for those seeking a break from the rising tide of far-right activism, misinformation, and offensive content that has overtaken X in recent months. As X grapples with growing controversy and user dissatisfaction, Bluesky is capitalizing on the opportunity to position itself as a civil and balanced alternative...

The Growing Backlash Against X and Musk’s Vision

The rise of Bluesky is part of a broader trend of backlash against X since Elon Musk's acquisition of the platform. Under Musk’s leadership, X has shifted its focus, alienating a significant portion of its user base. In the aftermath of the US election, many have expressed concerns about the platform's increasing alignment with far-right political groups and its potential transformation into a propaganda tool for Trump and his supporters.

For example, a prominent critic of X, historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who had 250,000 followers on X, noted that she picked up 21,000 followers within her first day on Bluesky after moving to the platform. She shared her concerns about X's potential evolution into a far-right radicalization machine under Musk’s stewardship. Ben-Ghiat said, "After January, when X could be owned by a de facto member of the Trump administration, its functions as a Trump propaganda outlet and far-right radicalization machine could be accelerated."

This sentiment reflects the growing sense of unease among users about the political direction of X. As Musk’s political ties become clearer and his rhetoric becomes more controversial, users who once considered X a neutral platform for conversation now see it as a space increasingly hostile to their values. For many, Bluesky is emerging as the antidote to this growing disillusionment."

Trump calls Madison Square Garden rally a ‘love fest’; The Hill, October 29, 2024

 BRETT SAMUELS , The Hill; Trump calls Madison Square Garden rally a ‘love fest’

"Former President Trump on Tuesday described a Madison Square Garden rally that was marked by racist and sexist comments as a “love fest.”

“There was love in the room. The love in that room was breathtaking,” Trump said in remarks from his Mar-a-Lago estate.

“It was like a love fest. An absolute love fest,” he added, scoffing at critics who likened the rally to a 1939 Nazi event at the arena.

Trump did not address the backlash to comments made by other speakers at the New York City rally, including comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose joke comparing Puerto Rico to a “floating island of garbage” has caused a firestorm, including with some Latino voters."

Trump’s Puerto Rico fallout is ‘spreading like wildfire’ in Pennsylvania; Politico, October 28, 2024

MEREDITH LEE HILL, MIA MCCARTHY and HOLLY OTTERBEIN , Politico; Trump’s Puerto Rico fallout is ‘spreading like wildfire’ in Pennsylvania

"Donald Trump has a serious Puerto Rico problem — in Pennsylvania.

Many Puerto Rican voters in the state are furious about racist and demeaning comments delivered at a Trump rally. Some say their dismay is giving Kamala Harris a new opening to win over the state’s Latino voters, particularly nearly half a million Pennsylvanians of Puerto Rican descent.

Evidence of the backlash was immediate on Monday: A nonpartisan Puerto Rican group drafted a letter urging its members to oppose Trump on election day. Other Puerto Rican voters were lighting up WhatsApp chats with reactions to the vulgar display and raising it in morning conversations at their bodegas. Some are planning to protest Trump’s rally Tuesday in Allentown, a majority-Latino city with one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the state.

And the arena Trump is speaking at is located in the middle of the city’s Puerto Rican neighborhood.

“It’s spreading like wildfire through the community,” said Norberto Dominguez, a precinct captain with the local Democratic party in Allentown, who noted his own family is half Republican and half Democratic voters.

“It’s not the smartest thing to do, to insult people — a large group of voters here in a swing state — and then go to their home asking for votes,” Dominguez said.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Trump."

Trump Team Fears Damage From Racist Rally Remarks; The New York Times, October 28, 2024

Maggie HabermanJonathan Swan and Michael Gold, The New York Times; Trump Team Fears Damage From Racist Rally Remarks

"Senator JD Vance of Ohio, Mr. Trump’s running mate, dismissed any concerns. “Maybe it’s a stupid, racist joke, as you said,” he told reporters on Monday. “Maybe it’s not. I haven’t seen it.” But, he added, “we have to stop getting so offended at every little thing in the United States of America.”

This Is Trump’s Message: At his Madison Square Garden rally, Trump’s argument was hate and fear.; The Atlantic, October 28, 2024

David A. Graham, The Atlantic; This Is Trump’s Message

At his Madison Square Garden rally, Trump’s argument was hate and fear.

"We might as well start with the lowlight of last night’s Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden. That would be Tony Hinchcliffe, a podcaster who’s part of Joe Rogan’s circle, and who was the evening’s first speaker.

“These Latinos, they love making babies too. Just know that. They do. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside,” he joked. “Just like they did to our country.” A minute later: “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. Yeah, I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” It took a few more minutes before he got to the joke about Black people loving watermelons. Novel, edgy stuff—for a minstrel show in 1874.

Other speakers were only somewhat better. A childhood pal of Donald Trump’s called Vice President Kamala Harris “the anti-Christ” and “the devil.” The radio host Sid Rosenberg called her husband, Doug Emhoff, “a crappy Jew.” Tucker Carlson had a riff about Harris vying to be “the first Samoan-Malaysian, low-IQ former California prosecutor ever to be elected president.”"

US politicians, celebrities blast Trump-allied comedian for calling Puerto Rico 'garbage'; Reuters, October 28, 2024

Gram Slattery,  Helen Coster and Alexandra Ulmer, Reuters; US politicians, celebrities blast Trump-allied comedian for calling Puerto Rico 'garbage'

"Ed Rosa, 60, a New York resident whose parents were born in Puerto Rico and who attended a Trump rally in May, said he had been planning to vote for Trump, but will now sit the election out after Hinchcliffe's comments. He has removed the Trump campaign signs he had placed in the windows and yard of his North Bronx home.

"It wasn't funny at all," said Rosa. "I really believe it was racist. And I was a very strong supporter of Trump until yesterday."

Americans of Puerto Rican origin or ancestry are an important demographic in some of the competitive swing states that will likely decide the winner of the Nov. 5 election, including Pennsylvania. Both candidates are fighting for the Latino vote, which has trended more Republican in recent years but still leans Democratic.

In a video posted on X on Sunday, Harris reacted directly to Hinchcliffe's comments saying, "Puerto Rico is home to some of the most talented, innovative and ambitious people in our nation.""

Trump refers to CNN’s openly gay anchor Anderson Cooper by a woman’s first name; New York Post, October 28, 2024

Alexandra Steigrad , New York Post; Trump refers to CNN’s openly gay anchor Anderson Cooper by a woman’s first name

"Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to CNN’s openly gay anchor Anderson Cooper by a woman’s name as the Republican presidential nominee looks to appeal to conservative male voters in the final days of the race.

On Friday, on Trump’s social media site Truth Social, the former president called Cooper “Allison Cooper.” Later that day, the former president doubled down on the taunting during a rally in Traverse City, Mich., where he criticized a town hall Cooper hosted with Vice President Kamala Harris.

“If you watched her being interviewed by Allison Cooper the other night, he’s a nice person. You know Allison Cooper? CNN fake news,” Trump said, before taking a beat to add in a mocking voice: “Oh, she said no, his name is Anderson. Oh, no.”"

Trump at the Garden: A Closing Carnival of Grievances, Misogyny and Racism; The New York Times, October 27, 2024

Shane Goldmacher, Maggie Haberman and Michael Gold , The New York Times; Trump at the Garden: A Closing Carnival of Grievances, Misogyny and Racism

"Later, the television host Phil McGraw, known as Dr. Phil, lectured the crowd on why Mr. Trump did not fit the definition of “a bully” because a bully requires “an imbalance of power,” seeming to ignore the fact that Mr. Trump has enormous power as a billionaire and former president...

David Rem, a childhood friend of Mr. Trump, called Ms. Harris “the devil.” Grant Cardone, a businessman, declared that the sitting vice president had “pimp handlers.” Sid Rosenberg denounced Hillary Clinton as a “sick son of a bitch” for linking the Trump rally and a pro-Nazi event at the arena of the same name decades ago.

Mr. Rosenberg called the entire Democratic Party “a bunch of degenerates, lowlives, Jew-haters and lowlives. Every one of them.”

When the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made his remark about Puerto Rico, there were groans from many in the audience.

On the same afternoon, Ms. Harris was in Philadelphia, courting Pennsylvania’s significant Latino population and stopping by Freddy & Tony’s, a Puerto Rican restaurant.

“Timing is everything,” David Plouffe, a top Harris adviser, wrote on X, posting clips of the two side-by-side.

In his White House bid, Mr. Trump has banked on winning uncommon shares of Black and Latino voters, in part by leaning into culture wars that split the Democratic Party."

Their Ugliest Foot Forward; The Bulwark, October 28, 2024

William Kristol, The Bulwark; Their Ugliest Foot Forward

"It was quite the hate fest the Trump campaign put on last night at Madison Square Garden...

Leading Trumpist thinker Tucker Carlson weighed in later, explaining there was no way “a Samoan Malaysian low-IQ” candidate like Kamala Harris could win 85 million votes. (That’s about the number of votes Harris is likely to get, which—in the event she wins—Carlson and the Trump campaign will spend the next two months insisting was impossible as they try to overturn the results.)

Trump himself didn’t shy away from demagogic incitement, especially as you’d expect against dark-skinned immigrants. “A lot of people are coming from the Congo prisons,” he declared on stage. But he was also happy to attack Americans of any color or national origin who oppose his campaign: “They are indeed the enemy from within,” and “the most sinister and corrupt forces on earth.”

This was the grand finale of the Trump campaign, personally insisted upon by him, paid for and produced by his campaign. This wasn’t Trump appearing at an event sponsored by a wacky local party or a goofy affiliated group, where the crazed speakers were locally produced farm-to-table types. This was 100 percent Grade-A Trumpism. This is what they wanted people to see.

Last night, at Madison Square Garden, they presented to us Donald Trump’s vision for America...

It is therefore tempting to avert our eyes from the ugly spectacle that was imposed on us at the Garden last night. But looking away won’t cut it. The only way to get beyond Trumpism is to defeat it."

Trump’s Madison Square Garden event features crude and racist insults; AP, October 28, 2024

JILL COLVIN AND MICHELLE L. PRICE, AP; Trump’s Madison Square Garden event features crude and racist insults

"Donald Trump hosted a rally featuring crude and racist insults at New York’s Madison Square Garden, turning what his campaign had dubbed as the event where he would deliver his closing message into an illustration of what turns off his critics.

With just over a week before Election Day, speakers at the rally Sunday night labeled Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” called Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris “the devil,” and said the woman vying to become the first woman and Black woman president had begun her career as a prostitute."

Trump Campaign Scrambles to Disavow Racist MSG Rally Joke; The Daily Beast, October 28, 2024

Matt Wilstein, The Daily Beast; Trump Campaign Scrambles to Disavow Racist MSG Rally Joke

[Kip Currier: We must not allow ourselves to be gaslit and 1984'ed by Orwellian authoritarians who tell us to not believe what we see with our own eyes and hear with our own ears, to not discern what we understand with our own minds. The kinds of rhetoric that the Trump campaign systemically espouses, endorses, enables, turns a blind eye to, and in coded conduct and language repeatedly communicates are un-American, undemocratic, and contrary to the teachings, beliefs, and ideals of all major religions.

Reject hate.

Reject violence.

Reject divisiveness.

We are called to embrace love of our neighbor, to be kind and compassionate to one another.]

[Excerpt]

"In response to the massive backlash to Hinchcliffe’s comments, which also included a racist trope about Black people “carving watermelon” for Halloween, Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez told CNN political reporter Kate Sullivan, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” Like the rest of the speakers who took the stage before Trump, Hinchcliffe’s remarks were pre-loaded into a teleprompter, indicating that they would likely have been vetted by the campaign in advance."

Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin Show Support for Kamala Harris After Comedian Insults Puerto Rico at Trump Rally; The Hollywood Reporter, October 27, 2024

Kimberly Nordyke , The Hollywood Reporter; Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin Show Support for Kamala Harris After Comedian Insults Puerto Rico at Trump Rally

"Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin were among those showing support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harrison Sunday night after a comedian made a racist joke about Puerto Rico at Donald Trump’s rally on Sunday.

At the rally, which was held at New York’s Madison Square Garden, stand-up comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people, all of whom are key constituencies in the election, which is just nine days away.

“I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” Hinchcliffe said during the rally.

Hinchcliffe’s joke was immediately criticized by Harris’ campaign as it competes with Trump to win over Puerto Rican communities in Pennsylvania and other swing states."

Trump loyalists spew racist, vulgar attacks at Harris and Democrats at New York City rally; CNN, October 27, 2024

Gregory Krieg , CNN; Trump loyalists spew racist, vulgar attacks at Harris and Democrats at New York City rally

"Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday began with a series of profane attacks on Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, other Democratic leaders, Puerto Rico and migrants sheltering in the city.

Local Trump loyalists, who made up many of the event’s speakers’ list ahead of the former president, took the opportunity to spew familiar grievances at some of the former president’s favorite targets. One failed Republican House candidate, for example, labeled Harris “the antichrist.”

The rally began with Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian and podcast host, assailing Puerto Rico – in the city that’s home to the largest Puerto Rican population on the US mainland. About 500,000 Puerto Ricans also live in battleground Pennsylvania, where Harris campaigned on Sunday.

“There’s a lot going on, like, I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” he said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”"

Violent threats against FEMA swirl on social media; The Verge, October 10, 2024

 Justine Calma, The Verge; Violent threats against FEMA swirl on social media

"FEMA employees scrambling to respond to the devastation caused by hurricanes Milton and Helene are facing a new, unexpected challenge: violent threats on social media."

Meteorologists battle flood of misinformation as they report on Milton; The Washington Post, October 9, 2024

Maham Javaid

 and 

Kim Bellware

, The Washington Post; 

Meteorologists battle flood of misinformation as they report on Milton

"Several meteorologists and climate scientists told The Washington Post that they have spent decades warning about how climate change will lead to extreme weather events such as Milton. But the struggle to disseminate information in a fractured media environment has been worsened by an aggressive flood of misinformation, they say.

“This is by far the worst misinformation [for a] weather event I’ve ever seen in my career,” said Katie Nickolaou, a meteorologist with CBS affiliate WLNS in Lansing, Mich. “Because of Helene, you have so many people who now want to pretend to be experts or people who, as I put it, cosplay as meteorologists.”

Nickolaou said social media has become a hostile environment for scientists. On the meteorologist’s Facebook page Tuesday, a user “recommended murdering people to stop these hurricanes” — which Nickolaou understood as a reference to the conspiracy theory that the government or meteorologists are controlling hurricanes."

Hillary Clinton: To err is human, to empathize is superhuman; The Washington Post, September 25, 2024

 Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Washington Post; Hillary Clinton: To err is human, to empathize is superhuman

"Back in the 1990s, from the time she was 15 until she was 20, Shannon was active in the violent white supremacy movement. She attended Ku Klux Klan rallies, tagged public property with swastikas, assaulted people of color, tear-gassed an LGBTQ nightclub and underwent paramilitary training to prepare for the race war her neo-Nazi leaders promised was imminent. Her comrades were white supremacists like the fanatics who years later carried torches through Charlottesville chanting “Jews will not replace us!” and like many of the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Then, remarkably, she managed to get herself out and change her life. Now, Shannon helps people escape violent extremism. She’s seen how the dangerous, hateful movement has metastasized. The rise of social media allowed white power leaders to more easily reach and radicalize thousands of recruits."

How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter; Fresh Air, NPR, September 11, 2024

 Fresh Air, NPR; How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter

"After buying Twitter in 2022, Elon Musk instituted sweeping changes. He laid off or fired about 75% of the staff –including about half the data scientists. He also ended rules banning hate speech and misinformation. Authors Kate Conger and Ryan Mac recount the takeover in Character Limit."

G20 nations agree to join efforts to fight disinformation and set AI guidelines; AP, September, 13, 2024

GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA , AP; G20 nations agree to join efforts to fight disinformation and set AI guidelines

"Group of 20 leaders agreed Friday to join efforts to fight disinformation and set up an agenda on artificial intelligence as their governments struggle against the speed, scale and reach of misinformation and hate speech.

The ministers, who gathered this week in Maceio, the capital of the northeastern state of Alagoas, emphasized in a statement the need for digital platforms to be transparent and “in line with relevant policies and applicable legal frameworks.”

It is the first time in the G20’s history that the group recognizes the problem of disinformation and calls for transparency and accountability from digital platforms, João Brant, secretary for digital policy at the Brazilian presidency, told The Associated Press by phone.

G20 representatives also agreed to establish guidelines for developing artificial intelligence, calling for “ethical, transparent, and accountable use of AI,” with human oversight and compliance with privacy and human rights laws."

Laura Loomer, a Social-Media Instigator, Is Back at Trump’s Side; The New York Times, September 12, 2024

Ken Bensinger , The New York Times; Laura Loomer, a Social-Media Instigator, Is Back at Trump’s Side

"A far-right activist known for her endless stream of sexist, homophobic, transphobic, anti-Muslim and occasionally antisemitic social media posts and public stunts, Ms. Loomer has made a name for herself over the past decade by unabashedly claiming 9/11 was “an inside job,” calling Islam “a cancer,” accusing Ron DeSantis’s wife of exaggerating breast cancer and claiming that President Biden was behind the attempt to assassinate Mr. Trump in July.

Just two days before the debate, Ms. Loomer, 31, posted a racist joke about the vice president, whose mother was Indian American. Ms. Loomer wrote on X that if Ms. Harris won the election, the White House would “smell like curry.

For many observers, including some of Mr. Trump’s most important allies, the Republican presidential nominee’s choice at a critical moment of the campaign to platform a social-media instigator, albeit one with nearly 1.3 million followers on X, was stunning.

“The history of this person is just really toxic,” Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Trump ally, told a reporter for HuffPost on Thursday. “I don’t think it’s helpful at all.”

His comments were echoed by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia and a devoted supporter of Mr. Trump. “I don’t think that she has the experience or the right mentality to advise a very important presidential election,” Ms. Greene told reporters Thursday morning."