Last weekend, Twitter CEO Elon Musk reactivated former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, which had been banned from the platform days after inciting violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
This would seem to be a moment of existential delight for Trump. His presidency was in many ways defined by his presence on Twitter, and he had been waging a fight in the courts demanding that his ban from the platform be overturned as recently as last week.
For now, Trump is declining to get back on his Twitter saddle, claiming that his clunky Twitter knockoff, Truth Social, is “doing phenomenally well” and that there are “problems at Twitter.” This is most likely a business play — an attempt to persuade the public that the shoddy product he personally stands to profit from is better than the social media platform he sees as a competitor.
Being active on Twitter would change the nature of Trump’s candidacy and amplify both his strengths and his weaknesses as a politician.
But in all likelihood Trump is deeply tempted to return to his favorite toy; it seems probable that he’s thinking more about when he’ll return than if. I could be wrong, but there’s little evidence that Trump voluntarily forgoes any opportunity for exerting influence and soaking in affirmation from his supporters, and Twitter is one of the biggest tools out there for those.
Separate from the question of whether or not Trump will return, though, is if it would be wise for him. Will jumping back on Twitter hurt or help his White House ambitions? I’d say both: Being active on Twitter would change the nature of Trump’s candidacy and amplify both his strengths and his weaknesses as a politician.
The primary way that Trump’s return to Twitter would help him is reach. In April, Truth Social had around half a million active daily users, far smaller than Twitter’s 200 million-plus. But Twitter isn’t just bigger than Truth Social, it’s also much more influential. Truth Social has a Cult of Trump reputation. Twitter has journalists, activists, politicians, policymakers and celebrities across the political spectrum. On Twitter, Trump can joust with opponents, make jokes, say provocative things and it’s far more likely to become a news story or dominate national discourse online. Free media attention is a big part of the story of how Trump won the White House in 2016, and it could play a role in elevating his name above 2024 competitors.









