The convergence of Trump and Musk’s political power with ownership of social media platforms raises urgent questions about democratic accountability and unprecedented authority over communication platforms. Media history is filled with examples of US presidents, or presidential candidates, trying to leverage media technologies for maximum political influence, whether it be FDR’s “fireside chats” over the radio; Dwight D. Eisenhower becoming the first presidential candidate to run political ads on television; billionaire third-party candidate Ross Perot simultaneously buying time on the three major broadcast networks to air his political “infomercials”; or Barack Obama’s sophisticated use of email, web pages, and social media to reach voters directly.