X Allows Don Jr. Hack to Go Unchecked as Threats, False Announcements Are Made

X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has allowed an apparent hack of Donald Trump Jr.’s account to go unchecked throughout the early phases of Wednesday morning, even as the account makes a phony death announcement regarding President Trump and issues threats toward foreign powers. The moderation failure comes despite the platform’s long-standing reputation for locking and banning accounts at a moment’s notice.

The phony posts to Donald Trump Jr.’s @DonaldJTrumpJr X account received millions of views on the platform on Wednesday morning. Among other things, the account falsely claimed that Don Jr.’s father, 45th President Trump, had passed away, and that Don Jr. would be taking his place on the 2024 Presidential ticket.

“I’m sad to announce, my father Donald Trump has passed away,” a post from the account read. “I will be running for president in 2024.”