Trump is preparing a return to Twitter, Facebook: report

Former President Donald Trump is preparing to leave the exclusive relationship with his own social media platform Truth Social as part of an eventual return to mainstream sites like Twitter and Facebook, according to a report.

Trump, who is gearing up to campaign for the Republican nomination for president in 2024, has been telling confidantes he is eagerly anticipating the expiration of a “social media exclusivity term” with Truth Social, the app founded by his company Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG).

The exclusivity term requires Trump to “first channel any and all social media communications” to his Truth Social account six hours before posting the same content to other platforms, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Nonetheless, the exclusivity deal exempts posts the content of which “specifically relates to political messaging, political fundraising or get-out-the-vote efforts.”

But Trump has been telling those close to him for months that he has no appetite to renew the exclusivity clause once it expires in June, according to Rolling Stone.

“There’s not going to be a need for that,” Trump reportedly told an associate when asked about his contractual obligation to Truth Social.

Another associate told Rolling Stone: “He said there’s an expiration date and that he didn’t want to make commitments.” 

As per the terms of the exclusivity contract, Trump must give notice in order to avoid an automatic renewal of the clause for a period of six months.

Even if the exclusivity contract sunsets, Trump will still be “required to post contemporaneously to Truth Social,” according to the filing.

Publicly, Trump has said he is sticking with Truth Social — despite the fact that Twitter’s new boss, Elon Musk, lifted the ban on the former president that was put into effect following the events of Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol.

Devin Nunes, the former Republican lawmaker who became CEO of TMGT, recently told Newsmax that Trump “has no interest in going back to Twitter.”

But one person who spoke to Trump told Rolling Stone: “There is no way [Nunes’ statement] is true.”

Last week, NBC News reported that Trump was plotting his return to both Twitter and Facebook.

Lawyers for Trump’s campaign sent a letter to executives at Facebook’s parent company, Meta, urging them to reinstate Trump’s account.

Facebook, like other mainstream platforms, banned Trump from its site following the US Capitol riot, though it did say it would re-evaluate the decision after two years.

A Meta spokesperson told The Post that a decision on Trump’s possible reinstatement will be made before the end of the month.