In the early hours of Friday morning, President-elect Donald Trump returned to a familiar antic many Americans remember well: the flurry of midnight posts on X, formerly Twitter, that dominated the platform during his presidency. For the first time since his reinstatement on the platform, Trump served up rapid-fire commentary, unfiltered and unmistakably his, setting the stage for a new chapter in his political saga. POTUS PurgedTrump’s departure from then-Twitter came in 2021, following the events at the Capitol on January 6th. The platform permanently suspended his account, citing the alleged risk of further incitement of violence. Twitter wrote in a statement:
For Trump, this was a yuge blow, as Twitter had been his primary tool for communicating directly with the American public and bypassing mainstream media, which he infamously labeled "fake news." The Turn to TruthIn response to his de-platforming, Trump invested in creating Truth Social, a platform designed as an alternative for conservative voices. Truth Social was meant to be a refuge for free speech and a way for Trump to maintain his direct line of communication with his supporters. While the platform gained traction among his base, its reach and impact never fully matched the global stage that Twitter provided. Musk’s Maneuver and Don's DefianceIn late 2022, Elon Musk reinstated Trump’s Twitter account after purchasing the platform and implementing sweeping changes to its content moderation policies. Despite his account being active, Trump initially refrained from posting, focusing instead on Truth Social. On July 23, 2023, Musk officially rebranded Twitter to X, declaring it "the everything app." Trump resumed posting on X, formerly Twitter, on August 24 of the same year. His first post after being reinstated featured his now-famous mugshot taken during his arrest in Fulton County, Georgia. The post has 333 million views to date. The image read:
Following this dramatic re-entry, Trump’s posts began ramping up ahead of the 2024 election season. However, his Friday midnight tirade brings back a dynamic that had been absent for nearly three years. The Return of Rapid-fire RhetoricPublishing four separate posts in the span of two minutes, Trump addressed everything from tariffs to terrorism and the national intelligence agencies. In his first post of the series, he wrote:
Next, he turned his attention to President Joe Biden and the impacts of his immigration policies, linking them to terrorism.
In a separate post, Trump accused the Justice Department, FBI, and Democratic prosecutors of prioritizing attacks on him over protecting Americans. Trump called for an immediate CIA intervention, writing:
The incoming president finished the rapid-fire session by writing, "TRUMP WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!" As the final days of Joe Biden's presidency drag on, the nation's news headlines paint a grim picture—from violent and deadly crimes on the NYC subway system to a mass casualty New Year’s Eve attack in New Orleans. Trump’s midnight missives aren’t just a throwback—they’re a preview. With caps-locked declarations and biting critiques, he’s firing up his base and signaling a return to the bold leadership style that defined his presidency. For Trump and his supporters, January 20 can’t arrive fast enough. |
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