Key Takeaways
- The interference case stems from alleged election meddling in Georgia.
- Donald Trump posted a mug shot on X, generating massive engagement.
- Trump’s return to X follows his interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Washington: Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday returned to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
He had been banned from the service for more than two years.
Trump on Thursday night posted a mug shot of his with the caption: ELECTION INTERFERENCE, NEVER SURRENDER!
The mug shot was taken earlier Thursday when he surrendered to authorities in Atlanta for the Georgia election interference case.
Within two hours, his post gained some 485,000 likes, 142,000 reposts, and 47,300 quotes.
Trump had his Twitter account banned after the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, reinstated Trump’s account in November 2022. Trump, however, did not immediately post anything.
Trump, who is seeking re-election, returned to X one day after his interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson was aired on the platform, to coincide with the first Republican presidential primary debate.
Before being banned, Trump was a heavy Twitter user with more than 86 million followers.
After the Twitter ban, Trump started his own social media platform, Truth Social, which has only a fraction of followers compared with his account on X.
