Former President Donald J. Trump made his comeback to the renowned social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), on Thursday night after an absence spanning over two years. In his first new post on X since his account was banned following the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, Mr. Trump shared a link to his website along with a photo of his mug shot. The caption beneath the mug shot defiantly read, “Never surrender!”
Mr. Trump’s return to X coincided with an interview he gave to Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host who now streams his talk shows on the platform. Notably, the interview aired while other Republican presidential candidates participated in their first debate on Wednesday night.
Twitter justified its ban of Mr. Trump by stating that he had glorified violence through his posts on the platform, inciting his supporters to storm the Capitol. However, Elon Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” who acquired the social network for $44 billion in October and subsequently renamed it, voiced his belief that banning Mr. Trump had been an error. In November, Musk reinstated Mr. Trump’s account, which had remained inactive until now.
For years, Mr. Trump heavily relied on Twitter as a means of communication, using the platform to criticize opponents, gather support, and issue policy directives. Following the ban, he played a significant role in the establishment of his own social network, Truth Social.
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Trump has a financial stake in Truth Social and is required to exclusively make his posts available on the platform for six hours before sharing them on other websites. However, he retains the ability to immediately post to any platform when the messages involve political messaging, fundraising, or get-out-the-vote initiatives. Notably, Mr. Trump boasts a substantial Twitter following of 86.5 million users, while his Truth Social account only has 6.5 million followers.
Despite Mr. Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, Mr. Trump expressed his preference for Truth Social and initially declared that he would not return to Twitter. Furthermore, in a Truth Social post, he mocked Musk when the Tesla CEO threatened to withdraw from the Twitter acquisition, suggesting that Musk overpaid for the platform and sought assistance on his “subsidized projects,” such as electric cars with limited range, driverless cars prone to accidents, and seemingly aimless rocketships.
In conclusion, with his re-entry into X, Donald J. Trump marks a significant moment in the world of social media and political discourse.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
