After being booted from virtually every social media app back in January, it looks like Former President Donald Trump is getting ready to rejoin one in the near future. While specifics of which platform Trump is eyeing have yet to be revealed, his reentry into the social media space has been confirmed.
It's been about six months since Trump was banned from the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and other social platforms. After months of spreading election misinformation and encouraging violence during the Capitol insurrection on January 6, Trump's access to these things was revoked. That resulted in months of radio silence from him, but on May 4, he returned with a blog called 'From The Desk Of Donald J. Trump.' While it wasn't a Trump-run social media network, it did give him a place to share posts/updates with his followers.
Less than a month after launch, Trump's strategy is already changing. As of June 2, CNBC discovered that the blog has been shut down. Trying to visit it now redirects users to a contact entry form that asks users to enter their information for "exclusive updates" from the former president. In response to a question on Twitter about whether this was a hint that Trump would be rejoining a proper social media site, his senior advisor — Jason Miller — said, "Yes, actually, it is. Stay tuned!"
Trump's Options For A Social Media Platform Are Limited
With news that Trump is returning to social media, that begs a new question: Which one will he be joining? Considering that Trump is still banned from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Discord, it certainly won't be on any of the mainstream options. Instead, Trump will likely be heading to a conservative-focused site such as Parler. Not only is it one of the few social networks Trump is allowed to use, but it's also heavily used and favored by Trump supporters. Especially with Parler's recent re-launch on the iPhone, it seems like the most natural fit.
There's also the possibility that Trump could be getting ready to launch his own alternative to Twitter, Facebook, and other existing sites. Miller previously said that Trump's blog was "not a new social media platform" and that there would be "additional information coming on that front in the very near future." That was back in May, so the timing would line up for a proper announcement. At this point, it's anyone's guess what will happen.
Source: CNBC, Jason Miller