Latest news with #rightwing
News24
8 hours ago
- Business
- News24
How Trump turned his Truth Social app into a megaphone
Trump uses Truth Social to bypass traditional channels, directly addressing his base with frequent, unregulated posts. Truth Social's posts echo widely through media, creating a right-wing ecosystem that amplifies Trump's narratives and messaging. Posts blend entertainment, policy, and economic influence, occasionally affecting markets and raising concerns over potential insider trading. Donald Trump has turned his obscure Truth Social platform into a megaphone in his second presidential term - constantly posting everything from major policy announcements to personal threats and unashamed self-promotion. To mark his first six months back in power, Trump unloaded around 40 posts on Sunday on the app he owns and can use unfettered by moderators, censors or fact-checkers. The deluge was characteristic of the way he has transformed Truth Social, despite being a minnow in the social media world, into the White House's primary means of communication. AFP analysed more than 2 800 Truth Social posts by @realDonaldTrump from his inauguration on 20 January up to 20 July to get a better idea of how the Republican communicates. Sidelining the White House press office, the president speaks straight to his hardcore base, posting an average of 16 messages a day, many in all-caps, rants peppered with exclamation marks and the odd expletive. Although Truth Social is tiny compared to X, Trump can post to 10.5 million followers knowing that he is being followed by the media and political establishment, with much of what he says quickly being reposted to rival platforms. READ | Harvard, Trump administration to face off in court over cancelled funding Trump repays the favour, helping to create a right-wing media ecosystem that invariably circles back to him. Since 20 January, he has shared Fox News articles 101 times, and the New York Post and Breitbart News 51 times each. 'The minute he puts something on Truth Social, others pick it up and echo it,' said Darren Linvill, a social media and disinformation specialist at Clemson University in South Carolina. Alternative to Twitter In his first term, Trump relied in a similar way on what was then known as Twitter - renamed X after being purchased by Elon Musk. But after Trump's attempt to overthrow his loss in the 2020 election, he was banned by Twitter and Facebook and briefly persona non grata in Washington. Although once more present on the bigger alternatives, Trump continues to prefer Truth Social. The posts vary wildly in content, all part of Trump's brand of mixing politics with entertainment. And the style deliberately mimics Trump's verbal ticks - the bombast, salesmanship and exaggeration. 'Vladimir, STOP,' he posted on 24 April, after Russia launched an especially heavy bombing of Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not stop, but Trump's two-word plea earned heavy media coverage. Half of his posts used at least one exclamation point, and 155 were written in all-caps. One post on 23 March, promoting his cryptocurrency $Trump, read: 'I LOVE $TRUMP - SO COOL!!! The Greatest of them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' Controlling the narrative Trump's posts are a way for him to keep the public on their toes and to change the narrative by giving journalists a new 'rabbit hole' to follow when needed, said presidential historian Alvin Felzenberg. The leader of the world's biggest economy knows investors are paying equally close attention. As markets plunged following Trump's tariffs announcements, he used Truth Social on 10 March to pump out articles predicting optimistic economic outcomes. On 9 April, just as stock prices were tanking, he posted: And hours later, he announced a 90-day suspension of additional tariffs against dozens of countries, triggering the best day for the S&P 500 index since the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis. The timing led to accusations from Democrats of an insider trader scheme. 'Truth Social doesn't quite have the firepower that I think Twitter had..., but it's still impactful enough that it can at times move the market,' says Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management.
New York Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
In Japan, Anti-Establishment Parties Resonate With the Young
The surging popularity of new, right-wing political parties that handed Japan's long-governing Liberal Democratic Party a humiliating election defeat is a sign of a growing generational gap, as younger voters embrace calls for lower taxes, restrictions on immigration and a break with the political status quo. The defeat, which rendered the Liberal Democrats a minority in both houses of the Diet, the country's Parliament, could herald the end of an era for the broad-tent conservative group that has been the country's dominant political force for 70 years. But while the party has faced would-be usurpers before, this time was different, because the challengers came from the nationalist right, which the Liberal Democrats had long controlled. The biggest winners on Sunday were two, far-right parties that did not exist five years ago. While Japan in the past has seen its share of flash-in-the-pan, anti-establishment upstarts, the Democratic Party of the People and the more extreme Sanseito party seemed to make much larger inroads among younger voters, who were drawn by their pledges to lift stagnant wages, reduce the number of foreign workers and break the grip that older generations of voters have held on politics. 'The populists appeals have found support among younger voters whose income has not grown or who feel uncomfortable seeing more foreigners,' said Harumi Arima, an independent political analyst. 'Their disenchantment with the L.D.P. has spread online, outside traditional media.' The gains of the right-wing parties have led many in Japan to wonder if the global wave of right-wing anti-establishment political movements had finally reached their shores. After years of seeming insulated from outside political forces, many Japanese voters, particularly in its younger generations, finally have had enough of what they regard as a political order dominated by corporate and political vested interests and the legions of retirees Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNN
a day ago
- Politics
- CNN
How did a right wing populist party that began on YouTube win big in Japan's recent election?
Its leader is a former supermarket manager who created his political party on YouTube in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic and campaigned on the Trumpian message 'Japanese First.' Now Japan's burgeoning right-wing populist party Sanseito has emerged an unlikely winner in parliamentary elections this weekend. Inspired by other populist right-wing groups that have sprung up in recent years, Sanseito bagged 14 seats in Japan's upper house, according to public broadcaster NHK – a dramatic increase from the single seat it had occupied previously. That might not sound like a lot in the 248-seat chamber, but it shows the party's message is resonating with parts of the Japanese public. The surprise success piles pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which after Sunday's elections has now lost its majority in both the lower and upper houses. Ishiba is facing calls to resign, which he has so far resisted. Sanseito's rise is particularly notable given its unusual origins. Party leader Sohei Kamiya founded the group in 2020 by 'gathering people on the Internet,' then gradually began winning seats in local assemblies, he said in a speech earlier this month. As of Monday, its YouTube channel has more than 460,000 subscribers. It gained traction during the Covid pandemic, during which it spread conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, Reuters reported. But in the run-up to the upper house elections, it became better known for its 'Japanese First' campaign – which focused on complaints of overtourism and the influx of foreign residents. It's been an increasingly sensitive issue. The world's fourth-largest economy has traditionally been strict on immigration, but in recent years worked hard to attract more international tourists and foreign workers to counter a rapidly aging population and plunging birth rates. And it's worked. Japan's population of foreign residents has jumped from 2.23 million to 3.77 million over the past decade, though that still only accounts for 3% of the total population of more than 120 million people. Tourist numbers also keep breaking new records. But that's caused problems in towns overwhelmed with visitors, some of whom behave badly, and depleting resources like the country's famous hot spring waters. Now, some believe there are too many foreigners in Japan – to the point the government recently formed a new task force to address the issue. Sanseito tapped into these frustrations on its 'Japanese First' platform, along with other complaints about stagnant wages, high inflation and costs of living. 'Right now, Japanese people's lives are getting harder and harder,' said Kamiya – a former supermarket manager and English teacher – in his speech in July. He cited a lack of economic growth and widening wealth gap. 'More and more foreigners are coming (to Japan),' he warned. He added that he didn't mind tourists, but claimed that relying on cheap foreign labor would harm Japanese wages, and that foreign workers who can't find a good job would increase crime. The party supports caps on the number of foreign residents in each town or city, more restrictions on immigration and benefits available to foreigners, and making it harder to naturalize as citizens. Sanseito is also pushing for stronger security measures and anti-espionage laws, greater tax cuts, renewable energy, and a health system that leans away from vaccines. It has urged greater defense capabilities, warning that Japan is 'surrounded' by nuclear-armed countries and thus needs a 'deterrent force' while pursuing long-term denuclearization. Kamiya also drew comparisons to other right-wing outfits like Donald Trump's MAGA movement in the United States and the AfD (Alternative for Germany) party and Reform UK. 'Sanseito has become the talk of the town, and particularly here in America, because of the whole populist and anti-foreign sentiment,' said Joshua Walker, head of the US-based non-profit Japan Society, according to Reuters. 'It's more of a weakness of the LDP and Ishiba than anything else,' he added. Many have criticized Sanseito's platform as xenophobic and discriminatory. Ahead of the election, he tried to tone down some of the party's more controversial ideas and to attract more female voters, according to Reuters. But he took a triumphant tone after the election results, Reuters reported. 'The public came to understand that the media was wrong and Sanseito was right,' Kamiya said. The results have left Ishiba's coalition on extremely shaky ground. He'd already lost control of the more powerful lower house in October, with the LDP losing its majority for the first time in 15 years – a stinging rebuke from Japanese voters to the longtime ruling party. In a news conference on Monday, Ishiba called the upper house results a harsh judgment on the LDP and apologized to his party. He said the party would continue to rule with its coalition partner and work with other parties to cooperate on key issues. Earlier on Sunday after polls closed, Ishiba had told NHK he intended to stay on as prime minister and party leader, citing the tariff talks with the US. Japan is among a number of countries that will face a 25% tariff from August 1 onward under Trump's newest measures – unless they're able to strike a deal. At the news conference Monday, Ishiba said he wanted to speak with Trump as soon as possible to find a solution. CNN's Yumi Asada contributed reporting.
CNN
a day ago
- Politics
- CNN
How did a right wing populist party that began on YouTube win big in Japan's recent election?
Its leader is a former supermarket manager who created his political party on YouTube in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic and campaigned on the Trumpian message 'Japanese First.' Now Japan's burgeoning right-wing populist party Sanseito has emerged an unlikely winner in parliamentary elections this weekend. Inspired by other populist right-wing groups that have sprung up in recent years, Sanseito bagged 14 seats in Japan's upper house, according to public broadcaster NHK – a dramatic increase from the single seat it had occupied previously. That might not sound like a lot in the 248-seat chamber, but it shows the party's message is resonating with parts of the Japanese public. The surprise success piles pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which after Sunday's elections has now lost its majority in both the lower and upper houses. Ishiba is facing calls to resign, which he has so far resisted. Sanseito's rise is particularly notable given its unusual origins. Party leader Sohei Kamiya founded the group in 2020 by 'gathering people on the Internet,' then gradually began winning seats in local assemblies, he said in a speech earlier this month. As of Monday, its YouTube channel has more than 460,000 subscribers. It gained traction during the Covid pandemic, during which it spread conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, Reuters reported. But in the run-up to the upper house elections, it became better known for its 'Japanese First' campaign – which focused on complaints of overtourism and the influx of foreign residents. It's been an increasingly sensitive issue. The world's fourth-largest economy has traditionally been strict on immigration, but in recent years worked hard to attract more international tourists and foreign workers to counter a rapidly aging population and plunging birth rates. And it's worked. Japan's population of foreign residents has jumped from 2.23 million to 3.77 million over the past decade, though that still only accounts for 3% of the total population of more than 120 million people. Tourist numbers also keep breaking new records. But that's caused problems in towns overwhelmed with visitors, some of whom behave badly, and depleting resources like the country's famous hot spring waters. Now, some believe there are too many foreigners in Japan – to the point the government recently formed a new task force to address the issue. Sanseito tapped into these frustrations on its 'Japanese First' platform, along with other complaints about stagnant wages, high inflation and costs of living. 'Right now, Japanese people's lives are getting harder and harder,' said Kamiya – a former supermarket manager and English teacher – in his speech in July. He cited a lack of economic growth and widening wealth gap. 'More and more foreigners are coming (to Japan),' he warned. He added that he didn't mind tourists, but claimed that relying on cheap foreign labor would harm Japanese wages, and that foreign workers who can't find a good job would increase crime. The party supports caps on the number of foreign residents in each town or city, more restrictions on immigration and benefits available to foreigners, and making it harder to naturalize as citizens. Sanseito is also pushing for stronger security measures and anti-espionage laws, greater tax cuts, renewable energy, and a health system that leans away from vaccines. It has urged greater defense capabilities, warning that Japan is 'surrounded' by nuclear-armed countries and thus needs a 'deterrent force' while pursuing long-term denuclearization. Kamiya also drew comparisons to other right-wing outfits like Donald Trump's MAGA movement in the United States and the AfD (Alternative for Germany) party and Reform UK. 'Sanseito has become the talk of the town, and particularly here in America, because of the whole populist and anti-foreign sentiment,' said Joshua Walker, head of the US-based non-profit Japan Society, according to Reuters. 'It's more of a weakness of the LDP and Ishiba than anything else,' he added. Many have criticized Sanseito's platform as xenophobic and discriminatory. Ahead of the election, he tried to tone down some of the party's more controversial ideas and to attract more female voters, according to Reuters. But he took a triumphant tone after the election results, Reuters reported. 'The public came to understand that the media was wrong and Sanseito was right,' Kamiya said. The results have left Ishiba's coalition on extremely shaky ground. He'd already lost control of the more powerful lower house in October, with the LDP losing its majority for the first time in 15 years – a stinging rebuke from Japanese voters to the longtime ruling party. In a news conference on Monday, Ishiba called the upper house results a harsh judgment on the LDP and apologized to his party. He said the party would continue to rule with its coalition partner and work with other parties to cooperate on key issues. Earlier on Sunday after polls closed, Ishiba had told NHK he intended to stay on as prime minister and party leader, citing the tariff talks with the US. Japan is among a number of countries that will face a 25% tariff from August 1 onward under Trump's newest measures – unless they're able to strike a deal. At the news conference Monday, Ishiba said he wanted to speak with Trump as soon as possible to find a solution. CNN's Yumi Asada contributed reporting.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Japan's ruling party suffers stunning defeat as Trump-style populists surge in historic election upset
TOKYO, July 21 — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's future is unclear after his coalition appeared to have disastrously lost its upper house majority in elections that saw strong gains by a right-wing populist party. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed almost continuously since 1955, and its partner Komeito had to win 50 seats in Sunday's vote but they secured only around 41, according to local media projections. Voters angry at inflation turned to other parties, notably the 'Japanese first' Sanseito, which made strong gains with its 'anti-globalist' drive reminiscent of US President Donald Trump's agenda. The debacle comes only months after Ishiba's coalition also lost its majority in the lower house, suffering the LDP's worst result in 15 years. Ishiba, 68, a self-avowed policy 'geek' seen as a safe pair of hands when he won the LDP leadership in September – on his fifth attempt – was tight-lipped late Sunday about his future. 'It's a difficult situation, and we have to take it very humbly and seriously,' Ishiba told broadcaster NHK. Asked about his future, he said only that he 'cannot speak lightly of it'. 'We can't do anything until we see the final results, but we want to be very aware of our responsibility,' Ishiba added. If he goes, it was unclear who might step up as the LDP's 11th premier since 2000 now that the government needs opposition support in both chambers. 'Ishiba may be replaced by someone else, but it's not clear who will be the successor,' Hidehiro Yamamoto, politics and sociology professor at the University of Tsukuba, told AFP. Rice price After years of stagnant or falling prices, consumers in the world's fourth-largest economy have been squeezed by inflation since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In particular, the price of rice has doubled, squeezing many household budgets despite government handouts. Voter Hisayo Kojima – one of legions of older people in Japan's falling and ageing population – said outside a voting station on Sunday that her pension 'is being cut shorter and shorter'. 'We have paid a lot to support the pension system. This is the most pressing issue for me,' the 65-year-old told AFP in Tokyo. Not helping is lingering resentment about an LDP funding scandal, and US tariffs of 25 per cent due to bite from August 1 if there is no trade deal with the United States. Japanese imports are already subject to a 10 per cent tariff, while the auto industry, which accounts for eight per cent of jobs, is reeling from a 25 per cent levy. Weak export data last week, which showed plummeting US-bound auto deliveries, stoked fears that Japan could tip into a technical recession. Despite Ishiba securing an early meeting with Trump in February, and sending his trade envoy to Washington seven times, there has been no accord. 'Japanese first' The last time the LDP and Komeito failed to win a majority in the upper house was in 2010, having already fallen below the threshold in 2007. That was followed by a rare change of government in 2009, when the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan governed for a rocky three years. Today, the opposition is fragmented, and chances are slim that the parties can form an alternative government. Populist opposition party Sanseito wants 'stricter rules and limits' on immigration, opposes 'globalism' and 'radical' gender policies, and wants a rethink on decarbonisation and vaccines. Last week, it was forced to deny any links to Moscow – which has backed populist parties elsewhere – after a candidate was interviewed by Russian state media. 'They put into words what I had been thinking about but couldn't put into words for many years,' one voter told AFP at a Sanseito rally. — AFP
