Former President of the United States, Donald Trump, made his long-anticipated return to Facebook on Friday, marking his first post after a two-year ban from various social media platforms.
In his post, Trump declared, “I’M BACK,” accompanied by a short 12-second video reminiscent of his victory speech from the 2016 election. The video also appeared to serve as a launchpad for his 2024 presidential campaign.
Following the clip, Trump reiterated his well-known slogan, “Make America Great Again” or MAGA, which gained significant traction during his last successful bid for the presidency.
Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were reinstated in February by Meta, as reported by NBC News. Andy Stone, the director of policy communications at Meta, confirmed the restoration.
This move was anticipated after Nick Clegg, Facebook’s president of global affairs, indicated in January that the suspension would be lifted. Trump’s accounts had been suspended following the events of January 6, 2021, when a riot occurred at the Capitol.
Initially, the ban was described as indefinite, encompassing the final weeks of his presidency, with the suspension later formally extended for a duration of two years.
As of the time of writing, Trump had not posted any additional content on either his Facebook or Instagram profiles. His last Instagram update, from January 6, 2021, promoted the ‘Save America’ rally, where he urged supporters to march on the Capitol.
In that post, he encouraged attendees with the message, “I will be speaking at the SAVE AMERICA Rally tomorrow on the Ellipse at 11 AM ET (8:30 PM IST). Arrive early – doors open at 7 AM ET (4:30 PM IST). Big Crowds!”
Similarly, Trump’s final Facebook post before the suspension called for calm, urging those present at the Capitol to remain peaceful. In it, he stated, “I am asking for everyone at the US Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order — respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!”
On the same day, YouTube also restored Trump’s account. A YouTube representative announced via Twitter that, “Starting today, the Donald John Trump channel is no longer restricted and can upload new content. We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run-up to an election.”
YouTube further noted, “This channel will continue to be subject to our policies, just like any other channel on YouTube.”
© Thomson Reuters 2023
