Trump’s Truth Social announcement of Iran strikes a break from norms
The article discusses President Donald Trump’s recent announcement on his Truth social platform regarding military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities, a notable shift from traditional practices. Unlike previous administrations that typically announced such operations through live televised addresses followed by official briefings, Trump opted for a social media announcement. Historical context is provided, showcasing how prior meaningful news, such as the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, would involve formal interaction protocols. The article highlights Trump’s consistent use of social media for major updates and notes that this announcement led to a network failure on Truth Social due to high traffic. Moreover, the Pentagon’s lack of communication on national security matters, frequently enough deferring to Trump’s statements, is mentioned, along with a scheduled national address by Trump to elaborate on the military actions.
Trump’s Truth Social announcement of Iran strikes is a marked departure from custom
President Donald Trump’s announcement via his Truth Social platform of the major military action on Iran’s nuclear facilities marks a departure from what has been the custom during past administrations.
Typically, the president would break, or at least confirm, the news of an operation by addressing the nation on television. This would be followed by an on-camera briefing at the Defense Department, in which the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would answer reporters’ questions.
For example, when Trump announced the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi during his first term in 2019, he did so via a televised statement and then launched into vivid detail about the operation. “He died like a dog,” Trump said at the time. By contrast, when news broke that the United States had killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Trump posted first an American flag and then a statement on X, then Twitter.
The strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites were foreshadowed somewhat by the movement of U.S. B-2 stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, which was publicly reported by flight trackers.
Since Trump first took office in 2017, social media has been his primary form of communication, using the medium to make both historic and trivial announcements. Such was the surge of interest in his announcement on Saturday night that Truth Social reported network failure.
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The Pentagon has been largely sidelined when it comes to explaining national security matters, with Trump believing he is his own best spokesperson. The Pentagon referred the Washington Examiner to the White House in the immediate aftermath of the strikes.
The U.S. fought a running battle with Houthi rebels for 52 days, and the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command said little publicly, aside from reposting Trump’s social media statements.
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Trump has scheduled an address to the nation for 10 p.m. on Saturday night, but it’s not clear if the Pentagon will provide the traditional on-the-record or background briefings to provide details of how the operation was conducted.
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