Former senior Trump adviser Jason Miller announced Thursday that he has started a new social media platform called GETTR, which immediately got the treatment on Twitter.
The Twitter-like website bills itself as an alternative to mainstream social media networks with an aim of “fighting cancel culture, promoting common sense, defending free speech,” Politico first reported. Miller said GETTR is launching Sunday.
The app initially sparked confusion over whether it was the long-awaited MAGA venture Trump has been hyping to his supporters since he was kicked off Twitter, Facebook and other platforms for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Social media, particularly Twitter, was the former president’s go-to tool for communicating with the public, disseminating disinformation and attacking political enemies. He and others on the political right routinely attack Big Tech companies for what they claim is a silencing of conservatives.
But, strangely, Trump isn’t involved with GETTR and has no plans to join, according to Bloomberg News.
Critics online noted the app has a number of quirks, including dubious follower counts for Trump allies and featured profiles that appear to be fake. There were racial slurs in multiple trending topics on the platform Wednesday evening, which a mainstream network would have removed. And many people referred to the platform ― which appears remarkably similar to Twitter ― as a knockoff.
People also took aim at the name GETTR on a number of fronts: