Trump Returns To X, Formerly Twitter, With A Mug Shot After Surrendering In Georgia

Former US President Donald Trump has made a comeback on the social media site X, previously known as Twitter, after over two years.

He took to the social media site on Friday (25 August) to share a mug shot from his booking at Fulton County Jail in Georgia, which took place earlier in the day.

A mug shot, an informal term for police photograph or booking photograph, is a photographic portrait of a person from the shoulders up, typically taken after a person is arrested.

With this post, Trump not only regained direct access to the public but also made an appeal for donations. This is significant because he was banned from the platform after his supporters allegedly attacked Congress on 6 January 2021.

After "free speech absolutist" billionaire Elon Musk took over Twitter in October 2022, the San Francisco-based app reversed its position on 19 November and reinstated Trump's account.

Trump had over 88 million followers on the platform when he was banned.

On Thursday, he posted a photo of his mug shot with the words "ELECTION INTERFERENCE! NEVER SURRENDER!"

Twitter permanently suspended Trump's account in January 2021, stating concerns about potential incitement of violence following the storming of the US Capitol, reports Reuters.

Trump utilised Twitter and other social media platforms to propagate claims of widespread voter fraud and share various other claims surrounding his defeat in the 2020 election.

In November 2022, Trump announced his intention to run for the presidency again in 2024.

On Wednesday, Trump declined to participate in a Republican primary debate on Fox News, instead attracting a substantial audience who watched a rival interview of his on X.

That 46-minute conversation with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson had drawn nearly 250 million views as of Thursday night, according to the site's statistics.

Trump has expressed his intention to remain loyal to his new created platform, Truth Social, which was developed by his startup, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG).

As of Thursday, Trump already had 6.4 million followers on Truth Social.

Since May, Truth Social has become Trump's primary means of direct communication with his followers.

Through this app, the former US president has been able to endorse his allies, criticise his opponents, and defend his reputation amidst ongoing legal investigations from state, congressional, and federal authorities.