He’s back.
Former President Donald Trump announced his return to Facebook Friday afternoon, sharing a message in his signature all-caps style on the social media platform greater than two years after he was banned.
“I’M BACK!” Trump, 76, posted to his greater than 34 million followers above a video that showed him celebrating his upset victory in 2016.
“Sorry to maintain you waiting, complicated business,” the ex-commander in chief had crowed from a Latest York City watch party after his defeat of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, announced on Jan. 25 that it might reinstate Trump’s access to his accounts, saying the general public needs to be allowed to listen to from politicians, but that Trump can be subject to “heightened penalties” for repeated violations of its rules.
Nick Clegg, Meta’s president for global affairs and a former UK deputy prime minister, said the corporate added “latest guardrails” to arrange for Trump’s return and was ready “to discourage repeat offenses” from the previous POTUS.
“Social media is rooted in the idea that open debate and the free flow of ideas are necessary values,” he said in an announcement. “As a general rule, we don’t wish to get in the way in which of open, public and democratic debate on Meta’s platforms — especially within the context of elections in democratic societies like america.”
Despite Trump’s reinstatement, it had been unclear whether he would post on the accounts.
Reports in January showed the previous president was desperate to return, nevertheless, citing the termination of an exclusive relationship together with his own social media platform, Truth Social, which he launched after being kicked off mainstream platforms within the wake of the Jan. sixth Capitol riot.
Even after billionaire Elon Musk acquired Twitter and reinstated his account, Trump also could have lost thousands and thousands of dollars had he chosen to tweet, on account of the Truth Social agreement.
But Trump also attacked Facebook from his Truth Social account, saying the corporate had “lost Billions of Dollars in value since ‘deplatforming’ your favorite President, me.”
“Such a thing should never again occur to a sitting President, or anybody else who will not be deserving of retribution! THANK YOU TO TRUTH SOCIAL FOR DOING SUCH AN INCREDIBLE JOB. YOUR GROWTH IS OUTSTANDING, AND FUTURE UNLIMITED!!!” he said just days after Facebook said it was moving forward with plans to reinstate his account.
Facebook and Instagram are key vehicles for reaching voters and fundraising and will toughen Trump, who will make one other run for the presidency in 2024. Trump had 23 million followers on Instagram and 34 million on Facebook as of Feb. 9.
Trump might be in search of a second term in his third run for the White House amid a potentially crowded field of GOP candidates, including his former Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, 51, and heavily expected challenger Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 44.
