Here's why Donald Trump might not return to Twitter

Former President Trump has had his Twitter account reinstated but his priorities are elsewhere.

Marie Altaffer/AP

• New Twitter owner Elon Musk reinstated Donald Trump’s account in November.
• The former president has not yet returned to the podium.
• According to reports, Trump chose to prioritize Truth Social, which he founded and launched in February.

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Since taking over Twitter in late October, Elon Musk has brought together a string of controversial figures with their accounts suspended.

Among them is former US President Donald Trump, who was kicked off the platform in January 2021.

Musk reinstated Trump’s account back in November 2022at the discretion of “the people,” which was expressed via a Twitter poll. However, the former US president has yet to start tweeting again.

Trump’s silence on Twitter has caused confusion as he has made no secret of how much he appreciates the platform. In 2017, he even said he would never have become president without this.

In private, Trump has Told He noted that his brand and image were closely tied to Truth Social, a platform he founded and launched in February 2022, which made it difficult for him to join Twitter.

Twitter is a competitor of Truth Social

Twitter is a direct competitor to Truth Social, which has a similar structure to Elon Musk’s platform. Users follow each other, like and comment on posts. There is also a “re-truth” option, which works the same way as a retweet.

“Twitter is a competing platform,” social media expert Matt Navarra told Insider. So it would be a weird thing for Trump to push hard and invest heavily in a social platform that has a lot of similarities to Twitter and then use the competition.

Trump has repeatedly indicated his commitment to Truth Social. He said FoxNews Musk’s first full day as the new owner of Twitter: “I’m staying on Truth. I like it better, I like the way it works, I like Elon, but I’m staying on Truth.”

The former president also has a contractual obligation to post on Truth Social first.

According to a Filing with the SEC by the Digital World Acquisition Group SPAC, Trump agreed that he would not post on any other platform to six o’clock after Truth Social’s initial post. However, the clause did not apply to political messages.

The six-hour posting deal “kinda defeats the purpose of being on Twitter because it’s all real-time,” Navarra said.

Many Truth Social users want it to stay put

Data shows that many Truth Social users want Trump to avoid other social networks. Last month, a poll published on Truth Social asked, “Now that Trump is no longer banned, should he return to Twitter?”

Although most of the 452 users who voted in a recent poll wanted him back on Twitter, a significant number were less enthusiastic. The poll ended with 63.9% voting in favor of his return and the remaining 36.1% saying he should stay put.

One user commented, “Why do people think he has to go on twitter when he has the social truth? That’s just a dumb thought.”

“I say the hell NO!” said another commenter, whose username was Sherry. “He’s got his own platform and I still don’t trust Twitter,” Sherry told Insider via direct message. “They still ban preservatives.”

‘Star of the Show’

Naturally, a large percentage of Truth Social users are Trump aficionados who want to hear directly from the former president.

Trump is the figurehead of Truth Social and “the star of the show” on the platform, Navarra said. When it comes to Twitter, however, Musk is the one in the limelight.

“I think Donald Trump wouldn’t want to be the second character on a platform when it’s owned by Elon Musk, who’s the star of the show now, and I don’t think he’ll like that pecking order” , Navarra said. . .

“I don’t think either will be happy to play second fiddle to the other,” he added.

Trump did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.