Donald Trump returns to YouTube and Facebook following ban after Capitol riot

On Friday, former US President Donald Trump made a comeback to YouTube and Facebook, the tech platforms that were instrumental in propelling his political career until he was banned following the attack by his supporters on Congress on January 6, 2021.

Trump’s Facebook and YouTube accounts featured a video entitled “I’M BACK!” in which CNN announces his 2016 presidential election victory against Hillary Clinton. The video then transitions to a “Trump 2024” screen.

In the video, Donald Trump says “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

On Friday, Alphabet Inc’s YouTube restored Trump’s channel, and earlier this year, Meta Platforms Inc had reinstated Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. Although his Twitter account was reinstated in November by the platform’s new owner, Elon Musk, Trump has not posted anything on Twitter yet.

Trump’s skillful use of social media was instrumental in his surprising 2016 presidential campaign victory. With his return to these tech platforms, he once again has access to powerful tools for political fundraising and can connect with a combined 146 million followers across three major platforms. This will undoubtedly prove beneficial as he makes another bid for the presidency in 2024.