• New Truth Social accounts are automatically set to follow a curated list of xenophobic, anti- Muslim and Islamophobic accounts, including Tommy Robinson.
• This arrangement has coincided with a substantial increase in Robinson’s following, which now stands at around 1.9 million on X.
Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform, a closely watched channel for his public messaging, automatically requires new users to follow the far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Those who sign up for the US president’s social media app, which he launched in 2022 after being banned from Facebook and Twitter, are automatically set to follow a curated list of approximately 100 accounts.
This list includes Trump himself, his son Donald Trump Jr, most members of his cabinet, and several anti-Muslim, far-right provocateurs, including Robinson.
Yaxley-Lennon has sought to build ties with the Trump administration and was hosted in Washington earlier this year by the US State Department in an unofficial role.
The 43-year-old said his recent coast-to-coast US tour was intended to highlight what he called the “cultural destruction of the United Kingdom and the destruction through mass immigration”. He also said he was in the US “making alliances and friendships”.
During a recent press conference, following the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ hate- rally, America’s Vice- President JD Vance praised Tommy Robinson.
In a recent interview, Robinson spoke fondly of Trump, JD Vance, and billionaire Elon Musk. He also described them as “the only people fighting for our free speech right now”.
Robinson was allowed entry into the United States despite past convictions for assault, drug possession, mortgage fraud, and contempt of court. The contempt case involved repeated false claims about an innocent fifteen year old, Syrian refugee, made in breach of a court injunction.
Trump often uses Truth Social to announce government policy, including the 28th February military strikes on Iran. He posts frequently, sometimes dozens of times a day. And has issued profanity-laden posts.
In a Truth Social post, Trump threatened Iran over the strategic waterway, writing: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” and adding, “Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!”
He has called the platform “somewhat of a phenomena” and says its free speech stance means “we have truth on our side”.
In January, he posted US government jobs data on Truth Social 12 hours before its official release time. This gave traders early access to information that could affect financial markets.
Analysis of user accounts found that new Truth Social users are automatically made to follow Robinson, regardless of whether they sign up in the UK or the US.
This setup has likely increased Robinson’s reach on the platform, where he continues to spout Islamophobic and anti- Muslim rhetoric.
Robinson also frequently shares misinformation, as he did again yesterday.
Robinson now has more than 1.9 million followers. He describes himself as a journalist and often posts anti-Muslim immigration content.
Alongside Trump, his family, and other government figures, new users are also automatically made to follow a range of alt-right media, Islamophobic and xenophobic accounts.
This list also includes several former White House officials, such as Kristi Noem, the former secretary of homeland security, and Pam Bondi, the former attorney general. Their inclusion suggests the list may have been created some time ago. New accounts also automatically follow Charlie Kirk, a far-right commentator who was assassinated during a university debate last September.
