Donald Trump returns to X, releases new campaign ad, questions current state of America. Here’s what he’s said so far

Former US President Donald Trump has made a significant comeback on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, with a series of campaign-related posts. It marks a notable shift in his social media strategy, as Trump has been largely absent from the platform since his reinstatement by X owner Elon Musk in 2022.

Interestingly, X, then Twitter, permanently banned Donald Trump in 2021 for spreading the disinformation that triggered the January 6, 2021 attack on Congress.

Trump’s recent activity on X seems mostly campaign driven. His account is used to distribute political ads. One of the most prominent posts, which has garnered more than 14 million views, addresses the current state of the nation.

pic.twitter.com/tf87iebMdN

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2024

“Are you better now than you were when I was president? Our economy is shattered. Our border has been erased. We are a nation in decline. Make the American Dream AFFORDABLE again. Make America SAFE again. Make America GREAT Again! #TrumpOnX”

Are you better off now than you were when I was president?

Our economy is destroyed. Our border has been erased. We are 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

This tweet echoes familiar themes from Trump’s previous campaigns, focusing on economic concerns, border security and his “Make America Great Again” slogan.

pic.twitter.com/tf87iebMdN

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2024

Other posts on Trump’s account include campaign slogans and criticism of political opponents.

pic.twitter.com/tf87iebMdN

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2024

“MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! http://DONALDJTRUMP.COM”

“TRUMP IS RIGHT IN EVERYTHING! http://DONALDJTRUMP.COM”

MEET SAN FRANCISCO RADICAL KAMALA HARRIS! https://t.co/MlIKklPSJT pic.twitter.com/lv4nGjNzae

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2024

“RAISE SAN FRANCISCO RADICAL KAMALA HARRIS! http://DONALDJTRUMP.COM”

The former president’s return to X coincided with a conversation with Elon Musk on the platform’s Spaces. The event experienced technical difficulties, due to a potential DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack, which caused a delay of almost an hour.

“TRUMP IS RIGHT IN EVERYTHING!” https://t.co/MlIKklPSJT pic.twitter.com/0mMyATtbkJ

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2024

When the conversation finally began, Musk praised Trump for his handling of a recent assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The discussion covered various topics, including illegal border crossing, the pandemic and Trump’s political rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.

When Trump was banned from X, then Twitter

In January 2021, Twitter, now X, permanently banned President Trump’s account due to repeated behavior that violated the platform’s policies.

The decision was the most extensive disciplinary action a major social media platform has taken against Trump, who has frequently used his account to share official policies, criticize opponents and spread misinformation.

For several years, Twitter faced pressure from critics to curtail the spread of Trump’s tweets, which were often full of lies. There have been growing calls for the platform to ban Trump altogether.