Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

'#TrumpIsDead' trends on Twitter as users test Elon Musk's approach to fake news

'#TrumpIsDead' trends on Twitter as users test Elon Musk's approach to fake news

Donald Trump is not dead, nor is he back on Twitter, but the former US president became a top trending topic as users set out to test the stance of the social media platform's new owner on disinformation.

Tweets of Donald Trump's death have been greatly exaggerated.

You may have woken up to #TrumpIsDead trending on Twitter this morning, and swiped over to your news app of choice to find out more.

Of course, there would have been no such story there. The former US president is alive and well - to coin one of his favourite phrases, this hashtag was a stone-cold case of fake news.

But in a co-ordinated attempt to test Elon Musk's stance on disinformation on the platform following his takeover, trending topics in the US and beyond were for hours topped with news of Mr Trump's apparent demise.

Why did it happen?


As ever, when something trends on Twitter, especially if it ends up being false or misleading, much of the discussion was driven by people wondering what on Earth was going on.

But it began as an effort to essentially stick it to new owner Musk, who has made content moderation - and his apparent desire to loosen it - a key part of the conversation surrounding his takeover.


"#TrumpIsDead is the best retaliation to Musk saying disinformation is free speech," said one.

Another who tweeted the hashtag added: "I mean, he might be alive, but since we're apparently going in a new direction on fact-checking in Chief Twit's new world, I guess we'll never know."

"There has never been a hashtag that has trending bigger," said one, echoing Mr Trump's style of self-praise.


At its peak, tens of thousands of tweets drove the hashtag to the top of the trending charts.

Verified accounts got in on the joke, with one from comedian Tim Heidecker racking up close to 10,000 retweets, while others mocked up screenshots of news sites including CNN.

In the US, #TrumpIsDead even overtook the evening's World Series baseball action.

How are trends determined?


Trending topics on Twitter come from a combination of the sheer number of tweets and the work of an algorithm, designed to tailor which ones appear for individual users based on their interests and location.

However, Twitter will act to prevent a hashtag or content from trending if it violates its rules.

For now, at least, that includes anything deemed as platform manipulation or spam, and also any forms of so-called "social coordination" which may spread misinformation.

Twitter's head of safety and integrity Yoel Roth tweeted last night, just as the hashtag was trending: "We're staying vigilant against attempts to manipulate conversations about the 2022 US midterms."

Sky News has contacted Twitter for comment about the Trump hashtag.

Have Trump or Musk responded?


Mr Trump is yet to address his return to the trending charts on his platform Truth Social, where he has been posting since being banned from Twitter in January 2021.

There has also been no comment from Musk - but his latest tweets do relate to Mr Trump's Twitter status.

Having indicated earlier this year that he would reverse Mr Trump's ban, people have been waiting to see when suspended accounts might be allowed back.

But he tweeted overnight: "Twitter will not allow anyone who was deplatformed for violating Twitter rules back on platform until we have a clear process for doing so, which will take at least a few more weeks."

That means no return for Mr Trump before next week's US midterms, as Musk works to create a new moderation council with "widely diverse viewpoints".

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×