Topline
Former President Donald Trump posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, for the first time in almost a year Monday, ahead of a conversation with X owner Elon Musk—marking a return to the platform for Trump, a once-frequent Twitter user who was removed from the site after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and reinstated after Musk bought it.
Former President Donald Trump posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, for just the second time since … [+]
Key Facts
Trump’s first post since Aug. 24, 2023 was a two-and-a-half minute campaign video that included news clips of his various indictments since leaving office, saying: “they want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom.”
Shortly after posting the video, Trump posted a series of other tweets promoting his interview with Musk Monday night, criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris and asking Americans if they are “better off now than you were when I was president?”
Monday marked just the second time since his ban was lifted by Musk that Trump has posted on the platform: Last August after turning himself into a Georgia jail, the former president posted a picture of his mugshot and link to his website.
Prior to that, his last tweet was on Jan. 8, 2021 and read, “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.”
Since leaving office, Trump has largely posted on his Truth Social platform.
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Why Was Trump Removed From Twitter?
Trump was booted from nearly every major social media platform following the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Two days after the Capitol riot, Twitter announced Trump was permanently banned from the site “due to the risk of further incitement of violence” after a review of his recent tweets. One day prior, Facebook parent Meta said it was indefinitely banning Trump from its platforms “following his praise for people engaged in violence at the Capitol,” though that suspension was lifted with conditions in January 2023 and Meta announced last month “the heightened suspension penalties” on Trump’s accounts would be removed.
When Was Trump’s Twitter Reinstated?
Musk reinstated Trump’s Twitter account on Nov. 19, 2022, less than a month after he bought the platform. Musk polled Twitter users on whether he should reinstate Trump’s account, and 51.8% of respondents said yes, leading Musk to post, “The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated.” Trump did not use the platform again until last August though, as he launched his own Truth Social in February 2022 and began posting almost exclusively on there.
News Peg
Trump returned to the app just hours before his scheduled interview with Musk. The pair is set to talk at 8 p.m. EDT. Musk has recently aligned himself more with the Republican Party after endorsing Trump following an assassination attempt on the former president and creating a pro-Trump super PAC. The Wall Street Journal reported Musk was in talks with Trump for a White House advisory role if he is reelected, though Musk denied the claim.
Key Background
Prior to being removed from the site in early 2021, Trump was a frequent Twitter user—often using the platform to dictate views, lash out at foes or spread false claims about voter fraud. Pew Research Center found that in 2019, about one in five U.S. adults on Twitter followed Trump, who at the time was using Twitter frequently to share his thoughts on policy and world happenings. The New York Times reported that, at the beginning of his presidency, Trump was tweeting about nine times a day, and his aides eventually gave up on trying to limit his access to the app. The Times analysis found more than half of Trump’s tweets attacked someone or something he perceived as an enemy, and he often attacked Democrats or investigations to his tens of millions of followers. Another analysis of Trump’s tweets while in office by CNBC found his most popular tweets were those that spread misinformation and sowed distrust, including tweets about “fake news” and election interference.
Further Reading
Israel and Hamas. Previously, she has covered a range of topics from Donald Trump’s legal battles to Taylor Swift’s path to becoming a billionaire. She joined Forbes in April 2022 and is based in Colorado. Prior to joining Forbes, Bohannon covered local news and spent time at the Fort Collins Coloradoan and the Arizona Republic. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Creighton University and has an MA in investigative journalism from Arizona State. Follow Bohannon for continued coverage of pop culture, politics and updates on the war in Gaza.
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