The Washington Post reports that Elon Musk’s online presence on X vastly surpasses that of all incoming members of Congress, including President-elect Donald Trump.
According to a Washington Post analysis, posts by Elon Musk on X, the platform he acquired for $44 billion in 2022, have garnered significantly more views than those of any other politically active user, including President-elect Trump. The Post, known for its Democratic leanings, monitored posts for 48 hours after publication, tracking engagement since July, when Musk endorsed Trump for president.
Their analysis reveals that Musk’s posts accumulated 133 billion views, exceeding Trump’s X post views by a factor of 15 and the combined reach of all incoming Congress members by over 16 times. The Post concludes that Musk’s online influence significantly overshadows all others.
Trump, suspended from Twitter before Musk’s acquisition and subsequent platform name change to X, primarily uses Truth Social for political communication. The Post contends that Trump’s activity on other platforms doesn’t significantly alter their findings, noting his considerably larger following on X (96 million) compared to Truth Social (8.4 million).
Concerns have been raised regarding Musk’s considerable influence over Trump and potential future administration policies. Musk’s active participation in the transition process and his outspoken online commentary on political appointments have fueled these concerns.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently labeled Trump as Musk’s “puppet” in response to Congress’s failure to pass a temporary funding bill. Musk publicly criticized the 1,547-page spending proposal, describing it as “criminal,” “outrageous,” “unconscionable,” and “one of the worst bills ever written.” Democratic lawmakers opposed an alternative bill proposed by Trump. The deadline for additional federal funding is Friday.