Months after he was banned on social media, former US president Donald Trump has announced plans to launch a social media platform called TRUTH Social that will be rolled out early next year.
Trump has found it hard talking to his followers following the social media ban, and has been working to create a platform for himself. He says his goal is to rival the tech companies that have taken the megaphone out of his reach, making it hard for him to communicate with his audience in view of his 2024 presidential ambition.
“I’m excited to soon begin sharing my thoughts on TRUTH social and to fight back against big tech,” Trump said in a statement.
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Trump announced the news in a press release on Wednesday, saying the platform will be open to “invited users” for a beta launch in November, with plans to make it available to the broader public in the beginning of next year. Truth social will be a product of a new venture called the Trump Media & Technology Group which was created through a merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp. The group said it seeks to become a publicly listed company.
It is not the first time Trump has made an attempt to return to social media. Last year, he launched an online communication platform called “From the Desk of Donald J Trump” previous efforts have included an online communication tool dubbed. It was described as a “glorified blog” and a “social media mockery.” The platform was prematurely shut down as Trump continued to fight for a way back to Twitter and Facebook.
In July, Trump sued Facebook, Twitter, and Google for allegedly censoring him. Trump was permanently banned on Twitter while Facebook said it will review its decision in two years. He has alleged censorship claiming that his social media ban is part of the political witch hunt that characterized his presidency.
“We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American president has been silenced,” Trump said in a statement. “This is unacceptable.”
“Everyone asks me why doesn’t someone stand up to the Big Tech? Well, we will be soon,” he added.
The social media name Truth Social was trademarked by Trump Group Corp in July 2021, according to public filings. While Truth Social website is yet to be launched, a link to the platform has been set up to direct users to sign up for a wait list or pre-order the app via the Apple App Store. There, screenshots of the Truth Social app show a user profile that bears a striking resemblance to a Twitter profile.
Trump was shut out of social media following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, where he was indicted for inciting mob violence against the US government using his social media posts. He had called the rioters “patriots.”
Prior to the incident, Trump used his social media to promote conspiracy theories that the election was characterized by widespread fraud, leading to his loss to Democratic candidate Joe Biden.