On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump becomes the 47th President of the United States of America (USA) marking the beginning of his second term in office.
He beats his major opponent, Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party in the November 2024 US election.
Trump’s first presidency was marked by a combative stance on media credibility. His frequent use of terms like “fake news” to discredit traditional media outlets contributed to widespread distrust in journalism post 2016 US elections. Additionally, his first administration’s controversial relationship with fact-checking and media organisations, as well as social media platforms, especially Facebook undermined efforts to combat false narratives.
Experts warn that this rhetoric could further embolden bad actors who seek to spread disinformation for political, financial, or ideological gains. In an era where conspiracy theories and fabricated stories already thrive, Trump‘s approach may exacerbate the fragmentation of public trust in verified information sources, including media platforms.
READ: Mixed reactions as Meta ends fact-checking programme in US, embraces community notes
This could be seen already playing out, as Elon Musk, who is the owner of the social media platform, X is an avid supporter of Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) campaigns. It is worthy to note that since Musk became the owner of the platform, X has been flooded with misinformation and disinformation posts, report noted.
The European Union (EU) Commission had also in 2023 decried increased disinformation posts on X (formerly Twitter), noting that the social media platform has the largest ratio of misinformation and disinformation posts in Europe.
In response, X said it suspended a total of about 5.3 million X accounts in the first half of 2024 for violating its rules, according to its Transparency report. X’s Global Transparency Report outlines enforcement actions taken to maintain a safer environment on the social media platform.
Earlier this year, Meta announced that it would end it’s third party fact-checking programme starting from the United states and replace it with community notes similar to what was adopted by X.
The FactCheckHub had reported how fact-checking organisations from different parts of the world expressed dissatisfaction with Meta’s statement. Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, did not fail to hint that the changes were influenced by political events, including Trump’s second term presidency.
It is also worthy to note that Meta’s current chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, who replaced Nick Clegg and who also released the statement is a long standing member of the Republican Party. According to The New York Times, Kaplan has close ties in the Trump administration and his promotion was seen as the company’s attempt to best position itself for the Trump presidency.
Information resilience during Trump’s 2nd presidency
Speaking to The FactCheckHub, the Editor-in-Chief, CheckClimate Africa, Lanre Olagunju, stated that Donald Trump’s second term could reshape the information ecosystem, particularly on platforms like X and Meta citing his earlier clashes with social media companies, which led to his 2021 Meta ban for incitement of violence in the US Capitol.
“Recent policy changes by Meta, such as replacing professional fact-checkers with crowd-sourced community notes, raise additional concerns. While Trump and his allies have criticised fact-checkers as infringing on free speech, this shift risks enabling the unchecked spread of disinformation, particularly on topics requiring specialised expertise, like climate change or public health.
“These dynamics could lead to a surge in politically-motivated misinformation. Without robust moderation mechanisms, platforms risk becoming echo chambers for disinformation, further complicating the global fight against false information,” Olagunju said.
Similarly, the Head of Programmes for FactCheck Africa, Habeeb Adisa, observed that Trump’s second term is likely to mirror his first, with no significant changes in his approach and possibly greater intensity in spreading fake news and half-truths.
“You have to look at the integrity of information in his first tenure and its aftermath. To answer the question at all, to look at the personae of Trump, is there any changes? No. We should not expect anything other than as witness in the first tenure, maybe it would be even worse.
“The new announcement by Meta is not in isolation. The war of information in the disguise of “free speech” might have just gotten to a bigger stage,” Adisa added.
Global implications of Trump’s ‘free speech’ campaigns
For journalists, fact-checkers, and civil society organizations, Trump’s second term presents a crucial challenge: navigating an era of intensified information warfare. The rise of generative AI tools has made fabricating convincing fake content easier than ever, amplifying the risks associated with unchecked disinformation.
An experienced media personality and Publisher of NatureNews, Aliu Akoshile, stressed that Trump will likely sustain his hostility with the press during the second term in office due to his sarcastic and often mischievous attacks on the press during his first tenure.
He noted that Trump intermittently deployed rhetoric such as “fake news” to weaponise anti-press sentiments and created credibility crises, especially at the critical crossroads of investigative journalism.
Akoshile said: “Trump may also escalate the conflict and further polarise the press by leveraging the proliferation of amorphous online news outlets to promote his prejudices. This will surely deepen public mistrust and aggravate the global hues about the pervasiveness of misinformation and disinformation in the press.
“The implications extend beyond the U.S. as disinformation fueled by Trump’s actions and rhetoric could ripple across borders, influencing elections, polarizing societies, and destabilizing international alliances.”
Which way forward?
Akoshile noted that it is essential for publishers and editors-in-chief to play a crucial role in countering political rhetoric and public mistrust by prioritizing fair reporting and urgently investing in robust fact-checking strategies.
“Publishers and newsrooms need to invest in robust fact-checking as a matter of urgency. Although many have embraced this, it must be a universal ideal to which all media outlets must commit themselves.
“Newsroom leaders should also promote initiatives for media literacy, which will enable the public to identify biased or misleading reporting. This commitment to accuracy will enhance credibility and restore public trust in the media,” Akoshile added.
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He added that paid content, whether in text, photo, or video form, should be clearly labeled as promotional to ensure transparency and differentiate it from news or editorial content.
The Executive Director of Round Check, Caleb Ijioma, emphasized the need for practical discussions on sustainability plans to support fact-checking organizations, stressing that combating misinformation requires both adequate funding and strategic approaches during these challenging times.
“The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and all smaller networks of fact-checkers must continue discussing the potential impact of this issue. Secondly, they should, where possible, challenge these potential misinformation activities or patterns in court, especially because of their harmful effects on society and the world at large.
“Additionally, we need to start addressing sustainability. If funding and research grants are cut off, how will these organizations operate? We need to begin practical discussions on sustainability plans to keep fact-checking organizations afloat,” Ijioma buttressed.
Olagunju shares the same thoughts as he notes that Trump’s strained relations with U.S. intelligence agencies during his first term could signal a reduced focus on countering state-sponsored disinformation campaigns from state actors like Russia, China, and Iran.
He warned that NGOs, coalitions, and independent fact-checkers should intensify their works by creating independent frameworks to identify and combat disinformation.
“Trump’s policies and rhetoric could undermine efforts to combat disinformation on multiple fronts. This stance could embolden state actors like Russia, China, and Iran to escalate their disinformation campaigns, anticipating reduced U.S. push-back. Trump’s strained relations with U.S. intelligence agencies during his first term, particularly over Russian election interference, hint at a potential lack of focus on countering state-sponsored disinformation.
“However, his policies could inadvertently galvanise efforts by civil society, academia, and international organisations to address the leadership gap,” Olagunju opined.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].