Donald Trump is set for a return to social media with a platform of his own, according to his adviser Jason Miller. The former president was banned from various social media platforms including his favored Twitter following the insurrection at the Capitol at the start of January and has kept a relatively low profile since leaving office. There is little doubt, though, that a new, Trump-headed social network would be very popular among his supporters and it would give him a new public platform.
Trump’s love affair with Twitter is well documented, with him having had more than 88 million followers when he was banned. How Trump would replace that means of communication has been the source of much conjecture. It has been reported that he subsequently considered joining Parler and even that the Trump Organization discussed a deal with the self-styled “free speech social network” that would have given it a 40 percent stake. Trump did suggest he might launch his own social media platform back in January, but little else had been heard of the idea until now.
Speaking on Fox News, Miller confirmed that Trump would be launching his own platform in about two or three month’s time. He said that Trump had met many companies about the project and that he thought it would be “the hottest ticket in social media” and would “completely redefine the game.” While those claims might seem a little exuberant, Miller’s prediction that a Trump-led social network would draw “tens of millions of people” is not unrealistic.
What Will A Trump Social Network Be Like?
It remains to be seen if Trump’s platform will “redefine the game” in terms of technology and features, but it does not need to. It is more likely that Trump would simply want such a platform to offer him a means of communicating with and mobilizing his base. In that sense, there’s every chance it could redefine the game because no social media platform before has been launched with such a potentially large and passionate audience ready to go.
Trump’s preference for Twitter over other major platforms, such as Facebook, might give a clue as to the format that can be expected: short and quick messaging primarily, rather than something overly complicated and feature-packed. His track record for monetizing products and services, meanwhile, could suggest a prominent means of monetization via the platform, perhaps even memberships. One thing that is certain is that a Trump-led platform will provide a new home for him, his supporters, and his plans for the future.
