Former President Donald Trump has made a comeback on X, previously known as Twitter, just as stock prices for his Truth Social platform dip.
Trump’s X account was buzzing with activity on Monday, shortly before a live chat with owner Elon Musk. After being banned following the events of January 6, 2021, he returned to the platform after Musk took over in late 2022.
At the same time, Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), the umbrella company for Truth Social, saw a 5% decline in market value as of Monday’s update. A financial report released last Friday showed a concerning 30% drop in revenue—down to $836,900—resulting in a hefty loss of $16.4 million in that quarter.
By late Monday afternoon, Trump had posted nine campaign-related updates on his X account. Prior to this flurry of activity, he had only made one post since his ban, which came after his indictment in August 2023.
Truth Social has faced difficulties attracting users since its debut in February 2022, boasting only a small fraction of X’s user base.
In light of the disappointing financial report, TMTG CEO Devin Nunes mentioned plans for potential growth strategies, including mergers and acquisitions, along with the new “Truth+” streaming service.
Monday’s posts from Trump included campaign ads and teasers for his Musk interview. One passionate statement read: “Are you better off now than you were when I was president? Our economy is shattered. Our border has been erased. We’re a nation in decline. Make the American Dream AFFORDABLE again. Make America SAFE again. Make America GREAT Again!”
Many of Trump’s new posts received millions of views, including a pinned campaign ad that had surpassed 22 million views at the time of this writing.
It remains unclear whether Trump or his campaign team was behind the X posts, but they noticeably differ from his updates on Truth Social, where he often employs his signature all-caps style.
Musk’s interview with Trump is set for 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday. Musk, who previously identified as a political moderate and “free speech absolutist,” has recently shown support for Trump while facing criticism for alleged censorship and spreading misinformation on the platform.
Joe Raedle