Topline
After being kicked out of virtually all social networks in the aftermath of the U.S. Capitol Riot, Trump announced Wednesday that he would launch his own social media company early in 2022.
Donald Trump, photograph taken at the White House by Forbes in October 2017. Jamel Toppin/The Forbes Collection
The Key Facts
According to Liz Harrington (an ex-staffer of the Republican National Committee who has been Trump's personal spokesperson since June), TRUTH Social will open its doors to invited guests next month. According to the statement, Trump Media & Technology Group will operate the social network. The group plans to merge with a special purpose acquisition company, Digital World Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ-listed), it said. Digital World Acquisition Corp. was founded last year and filed a Securities and Exchange Commission filing stating that it planned to merge with emerging-growth technology-focused companies in the middle market. Although the company claimed to be a competitor to the liberal media consortium's, the press release also included a mention of its founders' high-profile exile from the social media platform earlier this year. Trump complained that his favorite American president has been silenced.
Important Background
Trump has been a thorn in the side of tech platforms for many years. He often accused them of being biased against conservatives. After a mob of Trump supporters stormed Capitol Building in his long-running bid to reverse his election loss, Trump was temporarily banned from posting on Facebook and Twitter. Trump has been looking for ways to keep in touch with his supporters, and maintain his political relevance ahead of his potential presidential run in 2024. He is often interviewed on conservative networks such as Fox News. He also holds rallies in person. Trump started a blog called From the Desk of Donald J. Trump in May. However, it was shut down weeks later.
Tangent
TRUTH Social is the latest venture aimed at conservatives dissatisfied with moderation practices in mainstream social networks. Parler, a social network for conservatives, was removed from Apple's App Store and Amazon Web Services in January amid claims it failed to moderate extremist material. However, it returned to the App Store in May after it changed its moderation policies for iPhone users. Gab, another site, has attracted users as it presents itself as a free speech social networking site. However, critics have charged Gab with not adequately controlling violent content in advance of the Capitol Riot, which Gab denies. Jason Miller, Trump's former spokesperson, launched a social media platform called GETTR in January.
Surprising Fact
Over the summer, Trump sued executives from Facebook, Twitter, and Google, claiming that his banishment of social media violated The First Amendment. Many legal experts believe that Trump's lawsuits are unlikely to succeed, in large part because the First Amendment only applies to the government and not private companies.
