Elon Musk, owner of X, has repositioned the social media platform as a fervent supporter of President-elect Donald J. Trump, leveraging his influence to push a conservative agenda, The New York Times reported.
Musk, who has posted about Trump hundreds of times since the election, is increasingly promoting X as the central platform for Trump's presidency and conservative voices. He has emerged as a vocal supporter of Trump, transforming the social media platform into a rallying point for the incoming administration and its supporters.
Musk's recent flurry of posts — over 400 between Tuesday and Friday — celebrates Trump's victory and magnifies causes the president-elect might prioritize.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino underscored the platform's political alignment, commenting "Reporting for duty" on a post about X's role in political discourse.
The messaging from Musk and Yaccarino highlights a strategic shift in positioning X as a supportive network for Trump's presidency. Musk has actively encouraged X users to move away from traditional news sources, calling for "citizen journalism" to promote Trump's vision and developments directly from the platform.
This approach marks a shift months in the making. Musk, who endorsed Trump in July, hosted an audio town hall on X just before Election Day, urging his 203 million followers to vote for Trump. Trump publicly credited Musk during his victory speech, declaring, "A star is born: Elon!"
Political analysts have noticed Musk's recent positioning. Steven Livingston, director of the Institute for Data, Democracy, and Politics at George Washington University, said, "Musk has turned X into the church of the conservative movement ... It's gone from that public sphere to a bullhorn."
Musk's transformation of X into a right-leaning hub began shortly after his October 2022 platform acquisition. Within weeks, Musk lifted many content moderation policies, citing a commitment to free speech.
Musk also reinstated thousands of previously banned accounts, including Trump's, which the president-elect had initially ignored in favor of his platform, Truth Social. However, by August, Musk had persuaded Trump to return to X, hosting a two-hour livestream.
Since then, X has emerged as a consistent Trump campaign resource. Musk's posts on Trump's achievements have been widespread, and X has been proposed as a platform for interviews with other conservative figures.
Looking ahead, Musk has hinted that Trump's administration could involve him in a government commission focused on efficiency reforms. Musk even suggested that Trump's leadership would aid SpaceX's Mars initiatives.
On Thursday, Musk posted a nearly all-red electoral map, writing, "They say red light helps you sleep better."