Years after former President Donald Trump was banned from X—at the time still called Twitter—in the immediate aftermath of the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, he has made his triumphant return to the platform in the lead-up to an interview with Elon Musk, beginning his return with a campaign video.
“Are you better off now than you were when I was president? Our economy is shattered. Our border has been erased. We’re a nation in decline. Make the American Dream AFFORDABLE again. Make America SAFE again. Make America GREAT Again,” said President Trump an hour after he returned to the platform.
Trump was originally banned from the platform after he was accused by members of the media and some Democratic politicians of inciting violence at the U.S. Capitol, despite his explicit calling for the January 6 protesters to remain peaceful through a post on the same site.
Although Trump was reinstated after Musk bought the social media site with a focus on creating a free speech platform, he has only used the site once between his ban and his return to post his mugshot after he was booked in Georgia.
Some of speculated that Trump had refrained from using his infamous Twitter account because of an agreement with his own social media company, Truth Social.
His last post prior to his removal was a commitment not to attend President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
“To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” said Trump on X.
Although X accounts exist that re-post Trump’s Truth Social statements on X, his return is likely to bring more attention back to his social media presence, which, though popular among hardcore supporters, has proved alienating for some.
It remains unclear how, if at all, Trump’s return will affect his public image among American voters, whether he intends to begin using Musk’s platform instead of Truth Social, or whether his return is simply a brief promotion for his interview with Musk.
Trump’s return to the platform and his upcoming interview with Musk have already drawn the ire of international authorities in the E.U., which suggested that Trump’s upcoming interview will likely constitute hateful and harmful content.
E.U. Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton penned a letter to Musk in which he threatened legal action against Musk unless Musk took action to avoid spreading “hateful” content.
“My services and I will be extremely vigilant to any evidences that points to breaches of the DSA [Digital Services Act] and will not hesitate to make full use of our toolbox, including full use of our toolbox, including by adopting interim measures, should it be warranted to protect E.U. citizens from serious harm,” said Breton.
