If you haven't noticed, the new President of the United States loves social media. I think it's safe to say that Twitter is Donald Trump's best friend - but seriously, he will not stop tweeting. For those of you who don't use Twitter, here's a few fun examples:
"It is the same Fake News Media that said there is 'no path to victory for Trump' that is now pushing the phony Russia story. A total scam!" -Donald Trump, April 1, 2017
"The Democrats will make a deal with me on healthcare as soon as ObamaCare folds - not long. Do not worry, we are in very good shape!" - Donald Trump, March 27, 2017
"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" - Donald Trump, March 4, 2017
"Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!" - Donald Trump, February 1, 2017
It's okay if you laughed a little while reading these tweets. This is direct writing from the highest leader of our country. Twitter only allows 140 characters per tweet, and Trump makes full use of that limit. While these tweets are certainly laughable, I think we need to take a deeper look into the President's usage of social media. Has he taken it too far? Should the head of America be allowed to say whatever he wants on this high-traffic social source?
The problem here is not that Trump has a Twitter. Previous presidents have used this platform to communicate with the public, and with the increase in technology usage over the last 10 years, it seems to be even more practical now. The controversy at hand is whether or not The Donald is saying too much through his Twitter account, or, at least, where is his professionalism? Should he be allowed to call Obama a "bad (or sick) guy!" on a site that hosts 950 million users?
Some say the President is crossing the line. My response would be "come on, do you not know who you are dealing with here?" This is Donald freaking Trump. If you've followed his campaign and election, you can't be surprised by his Twitter usage. He is bold, unafraid, and incredibly opinionated - all characteristics that America needs to turn around - and turn around quickly. Would you have complained if Obama had used social media in this way? I highly doubt it; instead, you would have praised his ability to relate to the American people. Trump is criticized simply because he is, well, Trump.
Although opinions may differ, I have enjoyed the new Twitter Trump. He already defied the odds by being elected with no political experience; why not break more norms and try a new form of public communication? It could be just me, but I have loved the President's transparency through Twitter. I have never once doubted that what he has said is his honest and blatant opinion. If he believes the media to be fake news, then why not call them a total scam? If he disagrees with Obama's plan to bring Australian immigrants to America, then why not call it a dumb deal? In my opinion, the media is a scam, and most of Obama's plans are dumb deals. As someone who embraces my freedom of speech, I have no problem with what Trump is doing.
The tweeting isn't going to stop anytime soon. All opinions aside, if you don't like it, just hit the unfollow button. It's pretty simple.