Two days after a crowd of his supporters raided the U.S. Capitol Building, attacked police, and built a gallows for then Vice President Mike Pence, Donald Trump was unceremoniously kicked off Twitter. The social media platform was Trump’s main form of communication with the public and the media.
Twitter co-founder and ex-CEO Jack Dorsey, who was running the show when the decision was made to kick Trump off of the platform, now says that it never should have been done. That wasn’t his frame of mind on January 14th, 2021 when he said that banning Trump “was the right decision.” Billionaire Elon Musk, when he made a $44 billion bid ($54.20 per share) for Twitter in April that he later rescinded, said that if he bought the company he would reinstate the former president.
Trump’s Truth Social platform remains unavailable to the 44% of Americans that use Android
The Truth Social app is available in the iOS App Store
Axios notes that while Truth Social does have a banner that says “sensitive content” that is placed before some posts and reads, “This content may not be suitable for all audiences,” content that threatens violence remains on the platform.
There are other issues as well. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) refused an application from Trump to trademark the “Truth Social” name. Another company named Digital World Acquisition Corp., which wants to take the platform public, is under investigation by securities regulators.”
Trump Media CEO Nunes says that the ball is in Google’s court; Google says otherwise
Truth Social is owned by Trump Media and Technology Group and its CEO should be a familiar name to those who follow politics. Devin Nunes, a former member of the House, was chairman of the House Intelligence Committee from 2015 to 2019. One of Trump’s most trusted lieutenants in Congress, Nunes now runs the Trump company that owns Truth Social.
Android users can only pre-register for the Truth Social app in the Play Store
Google said that the statements made by Nunes misrepresent the issue that Google is having with the platform. The Alphabet unit says that it has spoken to the company about the reason why Google will not allow the app to be listed in the Play Store. In response, Trump Media says that Truth Social is simply trying to create a “vibrant, family-friendly environment.”
The company adds, “TMTG has no desire to litigate its business matters in the public sphere, but for the record, has promptly responded to all inquiries from Google. It is our belief that all Americans should have access to Truth Social no matter what devices they use. We look forward to Google approving Truth Social at their earliest convenience.” Right now, it is believed that Donald Trump has about 4 million followers on Truth Social compared to the 88 million that followed him on Twitter.
