But the tool he was visibly holding in the seconds before he was killed is the one the Trump administration seems truly afraid of — and the one it’s fought harder to control. For the Trump administration, it’s a visible thorn in its side. Still, the Trump administration has proved particularly willing to disregard obvious truth and particularly savvy at utilizing technology to shape its account of history. Musk’s actions show what’s long been true of social media platforms: Privately held businesses are not really a public square, yet they continue to shape what messages get to inform our reality. After Pretti was killed and the first video spread across social media, people quickly looked for other angles.