Politics
BREAKING: Donald Trump Makes First Appearance Back On Twitter
Former President Donald Trump appears to have shaken off the shackles binding him to Truth Social, posting a cryptic video message on X that seems to tease his long-awaited return to the social media platform that helped propel him to the White House.
Since receiving a lifetime ban from the platform previously known as Twitter, President Trump has founded Truth Social, his own site dedicated to emulating the rapid and primarily text-based posting style of X though never denied that he had an interest in returning eventually. A change in ownership under Elon Musk made the transition even more likely thanks to the entrepreneur’s supportive posts about free speech, especially for conservatives, and his denouncements of Trump’s ban by previous leadership. Founding Truth Social required the former president to operate under an exclusivity clause that expired in June of 2023, and he now appears to be exercising his freedom to again entertain his 88 million followers on X. His last post was in August of that year when he displayed his infamous mugshot and posted a link to his website.
Now, President Trump is reconnecting his campaign apparatus with his X account, posting a dramatic two-and-a-half-minute theater-style video adorned with fireworks and a message centered on the Justice Department’s criminal indictments against him. In an advertisement posted in the early hours on Monday, Trump wrote, “They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you. They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you. I just happen to be standing in their way and I’m never moving. We will Make America Great Again! #TrumpOnX”
The former President has now posted the video to his official X timeline, his first message on the platform since he shared his mugshot in 2023.
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(VOTE: Are You Supporting TRUMP Or KAMALA In November?)
President Trump’s personal account enjoys nearly four-and-a-half times the number of followers as that of Vice President Kamala Harris, giving him a widespread advantage on the platform that remains the go-to source of breaking news for the internet. Musk doubled down on Trump’s re-engagement, confirming an interview with the Republican leader on Trump’s account at 8 p.m. EST tonight. Outside of podcast star Joe Rogan or conservative journalist Tucker Carlson, Musk is arguably one of the most influential figures in conservative politics today, overseeing a social media network that counts more than half a billion monthly users.
🚨TONIGHT! You won’t want to miss it! pic.twitter.com/RzxfWhid3g
— Karoline Leavitt (@kleavittnh) August 12, 2024
The Tesla founder shares in common with Trump a feeling of resentment against systemic biases he claims are placed on him by both the government and “woke” corporations that have pulled their advertising since his takeover. He denounced the former president’s criminal conviction as politically motivated and promised to spend upwards of $45 million per month to see him elected to a second term. During a recent media appearance, President Trump praised Musk for his endorsement, adding it “took courage” to stand up for his beliefs and risk alienating liberal X users.
(FREE RED HAT: “Impeached. Arrested. Convicted. Shot. Still Standing”)