Former US President Donald Trump posted his first post on his Facebook and YouTube accounts, which were reactivated after being suspended for more than two years due to the US Capitol insurgency. “I’M BACK,” Trump wrote while sharing a 12-second video clip in which he appeared to be giving his victory speech after winning the elections in 2016. In the video, he exclaims, “Sorry to keep you waiting – complicated business.”
He was barred from uploading videos to YouTube in January 2021
After two years, YouTube revived Trump‘s suspended account on Friday. The move follows a similar decision by Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, and Twitter, which is owned by Elon Musk. Trump was barred from submitting videos to YouTube in January 2021, with the social media site claiming that his channel violated incitement of violence regulations. Trump’s account, however, is again back live, according to the press account on YouTube.
“Starting today, the Donald J. Trump channel is no longer restricted and can upload new content,” wrote Google-owned YouTube on Twitter. “We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run-up to an election. This channel will continue to be subject to our policies, just like any other channel on YouTube,” it added.
Trump has more than 2.6 million subscribers on YouTube and 87 million followers on Twitter
YouTube previously barred Trump from publishing films on its platform just days after his supporters stormed the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021. Hundreds of protesters stormed the building as the US Congress attempted to recognize Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election. Trump’s Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts were likewise suspended following the attack on the US Capitol. Trump launched his own social media platform, Truth Social, after seven months.
However, in 2022, Trump announced that he is running for the US presidency in 2024, and after that, his accounts on all social media platforms were reinstated. Trump has more than 2.6 million subscribers on YouTube and 87 million followers on Twitter, 34 million on Facebook, and 23 million on Instagram.