Fact Check: X 'like' animation not for Trump, but US elections
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a press conference after being found guilty over hush-money charges at Trump Tower in New York City on 31 May, 2024. Donald Trump became the first former US president ever convicted of a crime after a New York jury found him guilty on all charges in his hush money case, months before an election that could see him yet return to the White House.
ANGELA WEISS / AFP
On the eve of the United States election results, numerous X users claimed that the Election Day “like” button animation was done in support of Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, who is reportedly leading in the electoral race.
For 24 hours on US Election Day, when a user taps the like button on X, it spins into a star-burst-filled ballot box animation. The posts further claim that Musk, an open supporter of Trump throughout the 2024 US Presidential race, released the feature in celebration of the former president’s lead, while citing vote projections from multiple news outlets.
Amid online claims that this feature reflects the sympathies of X CEO Elon Musk, it appears only on posts using the platform’s official hashtags, #ElectionDay and #Election2024, and includes a patriotic ballot box emoji. Several viral tweets credited the animation to Musk, leaving out the context that the feature is part of the platform’s live Election Day hub. This animation feature has previously been used for marketing campaigns, holidays, and other events.
Throughout the 2024 US election campaign, misinformation experts noted that X has been a hub for the spread of mis- and disinformation. False claims attributed to Musk about the US elections have reached 2 billion views on the platform, according to the non-profit group Center for Countering Digital Hate, which stated that X played a key role in spreading false information during the campaign period.
Currently, Trump leads the race with a projected 270 electoral votes, suggesting he may win the 2024 election and possibly become the first presidential candidate to win a non-consecutive re-election since President Grover Cleveland in 1892.