Former President Donald Trump may soon be back on major social media networks. The 45th President is reportedly considering returning to the major social media platform after Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk lifted the ban against the former chief executive.
Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat following the events of the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol. The former President has previously stated that he would stay on his own social media platform, Truth Social.
The former Commander in Chief told FoxNews that Facebook “need[s] us more than we need them.” The former President also stated that Facebook, owned by Meta, has lost $700 billion since he left the platform. The former President has 34 million followers on Facebook and nearly 88 million on Twitter. Truth Social receives several million unique visitors per month, far smaller than the social media giants.
If Elon Musk is right, the Left will stop at nothing to silence Trump https://t.co/8ZvgtvwSYC
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 19, 2023
This week, Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign asked Facebook to restore his account. A campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, stated that these social media platforms are essential to the 2024 campaign.
This follows potential rivals entering into the Republican primary, including former UN Ambassador and Trump Administration official John Bolton. It is widely believed that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will enter into the primary later this year. Cheung called the restrictions on the former President an attempt by “Big Tech” to “silence President Trump and other conservatives.”
The efforts by the former President come at a time when many conservatives believe that large social media corporations colluded to aid the Democratic Party. Files released by new Twitter owner Elon Musk appeared to support this allegation, as Twitter officials were in contact with those from the Democratic Party and Biden campaign.
The former president was among the most interacted with Facebook and Twitter accounts. His ban represented the first major exclusion by an active American federal official. More information about Trump’s potential return to social media is expected in the next several weeks.