How a Zuckerberg letter got Trump to accuse himself of rigging 2020 (original) (raw)

Donald Trump on Tuesday blamed his presidential administration for rigging the 2020 election against him. But understanding why he did so requires some important background about the political moment — and how we got here.

Among the ways in which the 2016 presidential election upended American politics was the effect that it had on social media companies. While social media had existed before that contest, then-Twitter and Facebook emerged as central conduits for commentary and jokes about the candidates and their campaigns. Fans of Trump, particularly from the right-most edge of his support base, used social media to mock, mislead and at times harass his opponents. As we later learned, Russian actors were simultaneously using the platforms to sow division in the United States, to limited effect.