President-elect Donald Trump tweets many things. He retweets false statistics by white supremacist groups, he picks a fight with Broadway shows, and he seems hellbent on using social media as a channel to communicate with his supporters instead of using traditional mediums of communication. His incessant use of Twitter has been called out by Democrats and Republicans alike, but former House Majority Leader Newt Gingrich has a message for all of you – get over it.
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Gingrich spoke on Trump’s use of social media, specifically Twitter. Gingrich defended Trump, saying that Twitter was a new era of communication and that people should get accustomed to Trump’s presence, regardless if his tweets are “brilliant or stupid.”
Gingrich said that Trump’s Twitter page and usage is “who he is and how he’s gonna operate.” Regardless of what you think of Trump, apparently his reckless conduct on Twitter shouldn’t matter because “he beat 16 rivals, then he beat Hillary Clinton and he beat the elite media.”
Social Media Usage May Have Real-Life Implications
Trump’s Twitter usage does not live in a vacuum. His online presence has galvanized white supremacists, with him even retweeting images tinged with white nationalist rhetoric. White nationalists and white supremacists have been energized by Trump, with these online communities finally coming out of their caves and gathering, even celebrating, in public.
Now, Trump is not the end all and be all of America’s current wave of racism. He and his irresponsible usage of social media breathe life into people from the more deplorable sects of online societies – and he should be called out for it.
Not only that, but it cheapens his brand. Do you agree?
Featured image via screenshot from Facebook video