(The Hill) -- Truth Social, the new social media platform that Donald Trump says he is rolling out, will combat censorship and the "self-righteous scolds and self-appointed arbiters" who the former president said decide what everyone else is allowed to "think, say, share, and do."
The ex-president, who was banned from Twitter after a mob of his supporters fueled by false claims about last year's election invaded the Capitol to stop the Electoral College vote certification, in a lengthy statement framed his effort as an attack on Big Tech and what he said was its censorship.
"The corruption of these platforms cannot be ignored," Trump said in a statement issued by Trump Media & Technology Group. "We have fallen far down the 'slippery slope' of censorship in our country, and the topics that Americans are increasingly forbidden to debate are among the most important issues of our day."
"This wildly aggressive censorship and “cancel-culture” is not only un-American—it has direct, real-world consequences," Trump added.
Trump, who claimed he might be the "only person in America with the megaphone, the resources, the experience, and the desire" to create this platform, argued Truth Social was a necessary step in the path to restoring democracy.
Trump remains the de facto leader of the Republican Party and is flirting with another run for the White House in 2024.
But his ability to drive news cycles and communicate with millions has been significantly altered by the steps social media companies took to remove him from their platforms after Jan. 6.
Five deaths were connected to the riot at the Capitol, which a special House panel is now investigating.
The moves by Twitter and Facebook to remove Trump has accelerated conservative criticism of Big Tech, which had already become a target for the right.
Trump, who repeatedly feuded with the media while in office, said his new platform would "challenge the dominance of Big Tech giants and Big Media Bosses."
"For me, this endeavor is about much more than politics. This is about saving our country," Trump added.
Trump announced the creation of a new social media platform last week. It is expected to have a beta launch next month with a full launch to follow in 2022. In addition to the social media project, Trump Media & Technology Group announced it would also launch an on-demand video streaming service.
0 Comments