Dem
47
GOP
53
If you have been following the news for the past, say, 10 years, you know that Donald Trump primarily views the presidency as a way to make money for himself. Think about crypto, Bibles, sneakers, and so much more. There is also his social media company, which represents a lot of value to him on paper, although it would be hard to cash in on it without the stock crashing. DJT is not doing so well these days, although the capitalized value of it is $5 billion. Trump owns about half of it. Here is the stock price since 2022:
In an effort to pep up the DJT stock, Trump has made a deal with Newsmax, a far-right news and propaganda company run by Trump's buddy Chris Ruddy (who is also Newsmax's largest shareholder). Newsmax is a cable channel that draws about 300,000 viewers in primetime (vs. 3 million for Fox News).
The deal is that Trump's media company, TMTG, has launched a worldwide streaming platform called Truth+. It will get much of its content from Newsmax. All of the content will be Trump friendly. It is intended to be a new home for conservatives and non-woke viewers. Apps for it are already available for Android, iOS, and other systems. It will feature an "America First" perspective and have live streams as well as other content.
Trump emphasized that because it will be available through apps, it will be available worldwide. He is apparently not aware that most of the world hates him bitterly, so the international audience is likely to be microscopic. But there could be a U.S. audience from people who can't get Newsmax via their cable provider.
Needless to say, a media venture in which the sitting president is a major shareholder brings up major ethical issues. Will its coverage of the president be fair and balanced? The question answers itself. It will make Fox News look, well, fair and balanced. (V)