He will be able to make a comeback. Meta announced on Wednesday that he would end the suspension of Donald Trump from Facebook and Instagram, two years after banning him following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol assault.
“The public needs to be able to hear what politicians are saying so they can make informed choices,” Nick Clegg, Meta’s head of international affairs, said in a statement.
Meta claims to have put in place “safeguards” with “increased sanctions” which will apply to “any public figure reinstated after a suspension linked to civil unrest”. If he violates Facebook’s charge, his posts will be deleted and he could be suspended for a period ranging from one month to two years, “depending on the seriousness of the violation”.
Temporary exclusive with Truth Social
Donald Trump reacted on the Truth Social network, insisting that he should never have been deplatformed: “Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting president, or to anyone else who does not deserve punishment! He also assures that the future of his Truth Social network is “limitless”.
It remains to be seen when he will return to Facebook or Twitter. According to documents submitted to stock market authorities, Donald Trump signed an agreement giving Truth Social a six-hour exclusivity for all social media posts. This agreement runs until June 21, 2023, but it can, in theory, be terminated by Donald Trump “in a case of force majeure”. Whatever happens, he should be able to return for the launch of the Republican primary this summer.