Former President Donald Trump made a striking return to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, marking his first series of posts in nearly a year. The timing of his reappearance is no coincidence, as it comes just hours before his highly anticipated live interview with the platform's owner, Elon Musk.
Trump's re-entry into the digital arena began with the release of a two-and-a-half-minute video, a campaign ad that he had previously circulated on other platforms and at various campaign events. The video, a montage of news clips detailing his multiple criminal indictments, portrays Trump as a political target, reinforcing his narrative of being unfairly persecuted. "They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom," Trump declares in the video, positioning himself as a defender of the American people against what he describes as corrupt forces.
In the hours that followed, Trump posted at least four more times, promoting his 8 p.m. EDT interview with Musk and taking a swipe at Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he labeled a "SAN FRANCISCO RADICAL." His activity on X represents a significant shift, as his last interaction on the platform was in August 2023 when he shared his mugshot taken at the Fulton County Jail. Before that, his final tweet dated back to January 8, 2021, when he announced he would not be attending President Joe Biden's inauguration.
The revival of Trump's X account is part of a broader strategy to re-engage with his base on a platform where he once had unparalleled influence. His campaign has also begun running ads on X, although specific details regarding the campaign's spending on these ads were not immediately available. Previously, Trump's campaign had utilized a different account, @TeamTrump, for advertising on X, while his personal account remained inactive.
This digital comeback comes at a challenging time for Trump's social media ventures. Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind his own platform, Truth Social, reported a loss of over $16 million and a nearly 30% decline in revenue compared to the same quarter last year. Trump, who holds a significant stake in the company with shares valued at approximately $3 billion, faces mounting pressure to revitalize his social media presence.
Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter in 2022 and the subsequent reinstatement of Trump's account marked a significant moment in the tech world. Musk, who had criticized Trump's ban from the platform following the January 6 Capitol riot, conducted a poll among Twitter users to decide whether to reinstate the former president's account. The poll results narrowly favored Trump's return, leading Musk to restore the account in November 2022. Despite this, Trump chose to remain largely inactive on X, focusing instead on Truth Social.
Musk, once a self-identified Democrat, has recently aligned himself more closely with right-wing figures and causes. Although he has publicly stated that he would not financially support any presidential candidate, Musk endorsed Trump following an assassination attempt on the former president at a Pennsylvania rally. Speculation about Musk's potential role in a future Trump administration has swirled, although Musk has denied reports that he was in talks for a White House advisory position.
