Former President Donald Trump is reportedly planning a big return to Twitter, one of the several sites that kicked him off their platforms in the wake of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Trump cannot tweet again without following some rules set up by his company, however. Within his contract with Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) — the parent company of Truth Social, the site he helped found in response to his being kicked off of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and many other sites — Trump has a “first channel [of] any and all social media communications” agreement, stipulating that he cannot post to other social media sites unless he posts to Truth Social first.
Then — and only six hours after those initial Truth Social posts — can he post elsewhere, according to the agreement.
There’s one major loophole: Trump can make tweets relating to “political messaging, political fundraising or get out the vote efforts,” which include discussing his own campaign for the 2024 presidential contest, which he announced himself in November.
With Twitter owner Elon Musk removing the lifetime ban on Trump, the former president can technically now make any political post he wants on the platform. But according to reporting from Rolling Stone, Trump only wants to come back in a grand fashion, possibly by creating a WWE-esque video that celebrates his return to the platform.
The video, per Rolling Stone’s report, would also include Trump discussing his planned return to the White House — a possibility that the vast majority of the electorate staunchly opposes.
Several Truth Social officials, including former Republican congressman and TMTG CEO Devin Nunes, have repeatedly stated that Trump will not be making any return to sites that have banned him, with Nunes recently saying that Trump “has no interest in going back.” But publicly, Trump is trying to restore his other social media accounts, including on Facebook, whose company board is currently deciding on whether to reinstate his posting privileges.
Just last week, Trump sent a letter to Meta, Facebook’s parent company, pleading with them to let him back onto the platform, saying that it was important for his presidential campaign. Trump’s continued ban on that site “dramatically distort[s] and inhibit[s] the public discourse,” a letter from his lawyers said.
With his return to Twitter — and his possible return to Facebook — Trump may no longer have a need for his fledgling social media site, which is facing a number of financial setbacks and is being investigated by government officials for allegedly violating federal securities law and lying to investors. Indeed, the same sources speaking to Rolling Stone about his presence there have stated he’s planning to ditch the social media network when his contract with TMTG runs up, sometime this summer.
“There’s not going to be a need for that,” one source told the publication, referring to the possibility that Trump renews that contract.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
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In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
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