Last night, news broke that former President Donald Trump was launching a new company with the goal of creating a new social network, ironically called TRUTH Social. The new company, called Trump Media and Technology Group, will oversee TRUTH Social operations, and potentially expand to new markets such as TV and entertainment, according to company pitches that were revealed on Twitter.
According to SEC documents, the current CEO of Trump Media and Technology Group, Patrick Orlando has also been serving as the CEO of Yunhong International, a Chinese-based company. Yunhong International notably operates out of Wuhan, China which has been the center of right-wing conspiracy theories since COVID-19 began.
According to a report by MeidasTouch.com, SEC documents reveal that Trump Media and Technology Group is planning to merge with Yunhong International, leaving open the possibility for Chinese government influence over the new site and company. This news comes after years of Donald Trump criticizing the Chinese government for their censorship practices and economic policies, particularly their trade policies and how they treat American businesses.
Donald Trump’s new company will have a hard time competing with well established social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, but they may also find it difficult to build a user base among conservatives, due to the existing right-wing social media alternatives, such as Gab, GETTR, and Parler. Only time will tell how successful this next Trump venture will be, but the real test lies with users, who will have to overlook the blatant Chinese influence over Trump’s new company, and accept the shady terms of service, before being allowed on the platform.
Ben brings over four years of experience as a political communications manager and graphic designer to Texas Signal, where he serves as our Social Media Manager and does everything from designing graphics and posting on social media, to writing a column about current events. Ben was the Social Media Director for College Democrats of America during the historic 2018 midterms when Democrats swept the House of Representatives. Ben was a first-generation university student and graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration.
