More than a year after he was banned from virtually every social media platform, former US President Donald Trump is set to launch his own social media app soon — called Truth Social.
Weeks ahead of the new app’s expected release date, Trump kicked things off with a characteristically hyperbolic post: “Get ready! Your favorite president will see you soon.”
When Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, shared a screenshot of the former president’s first post on Twitter earlier this week, one thing stood out — the interface bore a striking resemblance to that of Twitter.
Time for some Truth!!! pic.twitter.com/jvyteDb5gW
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 15, 2022
When Trump first announced the app in October last year, he said that the aim was to create a rival for the Big Tech companies like Facebook and Twitter, which had silenced him following the attack on the US Capitol building by some of his supporters last year.
So, why is Trump launching his own social media platform?
After his social media handles were suspended, Trump essentially declared war on Big Tech. In a statement released last year, the president announced that he was launching his own social media platform to stand up to the “tyranny of the tech giants” who have “used their unilateral power to silence dissenting voices in America”.