Meta has announced that it will reinstate former U.S. President Donald Trump's accounts on Facebook and Instagram in the coming weeks, which were banned following the attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021. The tech giant stated that it intends to allow the reactivation of Trump's accounts on Facebook and Instagram after a two-year ban stemming from his supporters' assault on the Capitol.
A statement from Nick Clegg, Meta's President of Global Affairs, said, "We will be reactivating Mr. Trump's accounts on Facebook and Instagram in the coming weeks," adding that this would come with "new protective rules" to prevent the recurrence of previous violations. Clegg noted that moving forward, the Republican leader's account could be suspended for up to two years for each violation of platform policies.
It was unclear when or if Trump, who has announced his candidacy for the presidency for a third time, would want to return to the platforms. However, the 76-year-old billionaire claimed with much bravado that his absence led to Facebook losing "billions of dollars" in value. Trump warned on his Truth Social platform that "something like this should never happen again to a president during his term, or to anyone else who does not deserve punishment."
Facebook banned Trump the day after the January 6, 2021, insurrection when a group of his supporters attempted to block Joe Biden's inauguration by storming the Capitol in Washington. The former reality TV star and real estate mogul had spent weeks promoting claims that the presidential election was stolen from him, and he was later charged with inciting a riot.
Trump's attorney, Scott Gast, sent a letter to Meta requesting a meeting to discuss "Trump's immediate reinstatement to the platform," which has 34 million followers, arguing that his status as a major competitor for the Republican presidential nomination justifies lifting the ban. Gast wrote, "We also believe that the ongoing ban... is a deliberate effort by a private company to silence Mr. Trump’s political voice."
Some credit Trump's surprising victory in the 2016 presidential election to his tremendous influence on social media. New Twitter owner Elon Musk also reinstated Trump’s account on the platform last November, days after the former president announced his decision to run for office again, but he has not yet tweeted anything.
