‘I’m back,’ writes Donald Trump in his first Facebook post after a two-year ban

Former US President Donald Trump wrote his first Facebook post on Friday after being banned from social media platforms for two years.

“I’M BACK,” Trump posted with a 12-second video that appears to be his victory speech after winning the 2016 election and also tried to air his campaign for the 2024 election in that video.

After the 2016 video, Trump put on his famous slogan “Make America Great Again” or MAGA, which became popular during his last successful presidential campaign.

Earlier, in February, Meta restored Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. Andy Stone, director of political communications at Meta, confirmed the development, NBC News reported.

The reinstatement was expected after Facebook’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said in January that the suspension would be lifted, according to the report. Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended by Meta following the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

The ban was originally announced as an indefinite ban that included the final two weeks of his presidency, according to the NBC News report. The ban on Trump’s account was later officially extended for two years.

As of this writing, Trump has not shared any new posts on his Facebook or Instagram accounts. His last Instagram post, dated January 6, 2021, promoted the “Save America” march where he would encourage his supporters to march on the Capitol.

Sharing the post on Instagram, Trump captioned it, “I will be speaking at the SAVE AMERICA rally tomorrow on the Ellipse at 11 a.m. ET (8:30 p.m. IST). Arrive early – door open 7 a.m. ET (4 30 p.m.). PM IST). Large crowds!”

Trump’s last Facebook post before the suspension called on people to leave the Capitol. In the Facebook post, Trump said, “I ask everyone on the US Capitol to stay peaceful. No violence! Remember WE are the Party of Law and Order — obey the law and our great men and women in blue. Thank you!”

Meanwhile, on Friday, YouTube restored Trump’s account.

Taking to Twitter, a Youtube insider said: “As of today, the Donald John Trump channel is no longer restricted and can upload new content. We have carefully assessed the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chances of voters also hearing from leading national candidates in the run-up to an election.

“This channel will continue to be subject to our policies, like any other channel on YouTube,” YouTube added.

© Thomson Reuters 2023