The conservative rhetoric surrounding the highly anticipated 2024 presidential election portrays a dramatic, sweeping support of Donald Trump. But having public figures routinely promote the former president for re-election doesn’t mean that the average American citizen feels the same level of commitment to that candidate.
In the aftermath of the assassination attempt that left him with a miraculous ear injury instead of shot dead at a campaign rally, Trump has been lauded as even more of a hero by conservative supporters. But a recent analysis indicates that his primary public platform, Truth Social, is falling short of followers.
Howard Polskin, president of the conservative site TheRighting, shared his opinion that Trump is losing supporters because people are growing tired of the “harsh rhetoric” shared by the politician and his allies. Polskin pointed out that the controversial language of the former president is one of the relatively new platform’s “hallmarks.”
He also suggested that, should the “softness persist,” Trump could be in “trouble” when it comes time for the “ballot box in November.” Analysis from TheRighting indicates that Truth Social attained 3.26 million followers during the first month of its launch, which followed Trump’s removal from other major social media platforms for allegedly inciting the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots.
However, in June 2024, the platform lost 38% of followers since last year, putting it at 2.11 million. According to Polskin, the “ongoing audience erosion” from last month is not a huge surprise due to the “dominated” news cycle from June 2020, which featured reports about George Floyd’s death and COVID-19.
Truth Social’s parent company, Trump Media & Technology, has also shown a lag in progress as its stock recently dropped to $29 a share. The current number followed a spike to $46 per share, which occurred following the failed assassination attempt against Trump.
Meanwhile, the GOP presidential candidate is showing little more promise in the polls. Though slightly favored by American voters over his previous opponent, President Joe Biden, Trump is losing approval ahead of the election, which will now likely feature Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
According to the most recent favorability polls, the former president is generally deemed “unfavorable” by more than 50% of voters and “favorable” by less than 50%. But Harris is also not the most popular candidate, with voters expressing disapproval in the 40 and 50 percentage range and approval ratings in the upper 30, low 40 percentage.
The numbers indicate that most Americans are displeased with all options for the next president, suggesting ongoing uncertainty about who will win the White House.
