Former President Donald Trump has made his comeback on the platform now known as X, which was previously Twitter. After over two and a half years, he posted a message shortly after his appearance at an Atlanta jail related to charges of conspiracy regarding his election outcome.
The image he shared was accompanied by the caption, “Election interference. Never surrender!” and included a link to his fundraising website.
This marked his first post since January 8, 2021. Twitter had suspended his account indefinitely at that time, concerned about the potential of further violence after the unsettling events at the U.S. Capitol. His access was restored in November, following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company. Yet, Trump chose to remain more active on his own platform, Truth Social, which he introduced during his suspension.
Sources close to Trump, who currently leads the Republican presidential nomination race, mentioned he had hinted at returning to the platform “at the right moment.” The former president made the recent post while on his private aircraft, en route from Atlanta to his New Jersey residence on a Thursday evening.
There’s uncertainty about whether Trump plans to maintain a steady presence on X. He had shared the identical message on Truth Social earlier that evening and continued to advocate for the platform, expressing his fondness by stating, “I LOVE TRUTH SOCIAL. IT IS MY HOME!!!”
His return to X signifies a reunion with a medium that played a pivotal role during his 2016 campaign and subsequent presidency. Trump often noted the speed at which his posts became top news stories.
His most recent post on X comes after he chose not to attend the initial Republican primary debate. Instead, he opted for an interview with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, which was shared on X around the same time as the debate.
Trump’s decision to use the platform for fundraising underlines the significant legal expenses his campaign is incurring. Financial reports suggest that his political funds have been significantly utilized for legal defence.
Currently, Trump boasts a following of 86.6 million on X, outpacing his 2024 competitors.
However, X has seen substantial changes since Trump’s hiatus, notably Musk’s decision to rebrand it. Trump marked his return to Facebook in March with the post “I’M BACK!” after his account was reactivated.
Truth Social, resembling Twitter, remains his primary communication channel, where he posts updates and shares. He’s used Truth Social to announce various legal developments.
In collaboration with Digital World Acquisition Corp., Trump’s arrangement to make Truth Social public included an agreement prioritizing the platform as the main outlet for his personal posts, based on documentation from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This agreement also contained a clause requiring Trump to post on Truth Social first, ensuring a 6-hour gap before sharing the same content on other platforms. This 18-month clause, which began on December 22, 2021, concluded this past June.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of social media, Trump’s actions and choices about where and when to communicate have significant implications. As platforms change and political dynamics shift, one thing remains evident: social media will continue to play a central role in how political leaders connect with their base and shape public discourse. Whether Trump will balance his presence between X and Truth Social, or favour one over the other, remains to be seen. Yet, his influence on these platforms undeniably reverberates throughout the digital world.
