Former President Donald Trump returned to Facebook on Friday, posting for the first time in more than two years with a simple two-word message: “I’M BACK!”
Included in the post was a 12-second video clip from Trump’s 2016 election night victory speech. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Complicated business,” he said in the clip.
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Trump was banned from the platform, as well as his Instagram and Twitter accounts, following the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021; however, Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, announced earlier this year his access to the accounts would be reinstated.
Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta and liberal former U.K. politician, said the company determined Trump is no longer a “serious risk to public safety” and they had “guardrails” in place for his return.
Former President Trump posted on Facebook for the first time in over two years after access to his account was reinstated. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
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Ahead of Meta’s announcement that Trump would be able to return, his campaign confirmed to Fox News Digital that it was discussing a potential reinstatement with CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Trump, however, downplayed any need he had for the platform, telling Fox that Facebook had lost a whopping $700 billion since his ban took effect.
“If they took us back, it would help them greatly, and that’s okay with me,” Trump said. “But they need us more than we need them.”
In this photo illustration, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is seen on a video displayed on a smartphone screen as he announces the new name for Facebook: Meta. (Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Trump’s return to the platform comes as the 2024 race for the White House continues to heat up. He has so far been joined in the Republican primary race by former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, multi-millionaire businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson.
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Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
