Staff Reports
The self-proclaimed sovereign of social media, who once reigned supreme on Twitter, has made a grand return—sort of. Donald Trump reemerged on X, that platform formerly known as Twitter, in the early hours of Monday morning with a message that promised to rattle the cages of leftist snowflakes everywhere. He delivered a bold two-and-a-half minute video asserting that the powers that be want to silence him, but he will never let them silence his supporters. This little gem was punctuated with the hashtag #TrumponX, because nothing says “I’m back” quite like a catchy hashtag.
This latest digital foray is quite the comeback story. After being unceremoniously booted from Twitter in 2021 by executives who wielded their ban-hammers like they were on a power trip, Trump’s account was reinstated courtesy of newly minted CEO Elon Musk. However, by that time, Trump had managed to create his own successful social media venture, Truth Social. And while it’s nice to see him on X again, this return calls to mind the good old days when Democrats couldn’t sleep for fear of his next “mean tweet.”
They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you. They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you. I just happen to be standing in their way and I'm never moving.
We will Make America Great Again! #TrumpOnX
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2024
Will this be the beginning of a Trump renaissance? Could we be on the cusp of witnessing the resurgence of his biting humor and audacious rhetoric that once dominated the news cycle? The anticipation is palpable, as visions of tongue-in-cheek nicknames and downright hilarious quips dance in the heads of his supporters. Unfortunately, it seems like this return may be more of a well-crafted infomercial than a full-blown blitz of Trump-esque ribbing.
Upon further investigation, it appears that Trump’s initial tweet may as well have been a sneak peek trailer for his campaign rather than a full-fledged commitment to return to daily Twitter disputes. It didn’t even show up on his profile for some time, seemingly lurking only in the shadowy corners of the X algorithm. However, Trump quickly rectified this when he reposted the same video later in the day, which finally highlighted his triumph over the platform’s quirks.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2024
The follow-up tweets, while a parade of promotion for his upcoming Musk interview and campaign messages, were calculated and strategic. Certainly, this isn’t a bad move for a candidate gearing up for election season. But for those longing for the unabashed and spontaneous Trump of yesteryear, this feels like icing without the cake. New tweets promoting meticulously planned messages simply can’t replace the thrill of his off-the-cuff musings that had the liberal elite breaking out in a cold sweat.
While supporters can revel in nostalgia and recall some of Trump’s greatest hits—from his roasting of Barney Frank to his light-hearted banter about “covfefe” and even putting Kim Jong Un in his place—it appears that Trump won’t be mounting a full-scale return to X battlegrounds, at least not on the same fiery level as before. For now, the conservative audience can just sit back, reminisce, and wait to see what this new chapter on social media might bring.
