In the political theater that is the 21st century, social media has become the modern-day agora, a thriving and chaotic marketplace where ideas, intense emotions, and policies are thrown back and forth in real-time.
For former President Donald Trump, in particular, Twitter (now X) was not just a platform; it was his Excalibur, the magical weapon that helped him slice through the establishment media's constant barrage of lies, engage directly with his base, and set the MAGA agenda on his own terms.
As the 2024 presidential race heads into the homestretch, and with a freshly astroturfed Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee, Trump's return to Twitter is not just advisable—it is imperative.
And although his account may have recently been reactivated on the same day as his ‘X Spaces’ discussion with Elon Musk, let’s be honest: he’s not really back. While it’s true that his newly active account has been busy posting campaign videos and slogans that were almost certainly written by an intern, this by no means constitutes an actual return to Twitter.
We need Trump himself to be the one behind the account, with all the chaos (and the GENEROUS USE OF CAPITALIZATION!) that comes along with it. Anything less simply doesn’t constitute a genuine ‘return’.
Let us acknowledge the unique relationship between Trump and Twitter. During his historic 2016 campaign and throughout his presidency, Trump wielded his Twitter account like a maestro conducting a world-class orchestra, energizing his supporters while driving his detractors absolutely insane.
His tweets, often controversial and unfiltered, dominated every news cycle and compelled the mainstream media to follow his lead, rather than allowing the fake news to set the narrative themselves.
This direct line to millions of followers allowed Trump to bypass traditional media gatekeepers and communicate his message completely unfiltered.
In contrast, since his extended hiatus from Twitter, Trump has struggled to maintain the same level of visibility and influence. His words, now issued through press releases and his own Truth Social platform, lack the immediacy and impact they once had. While Trump’s Truth Social posts can still sometimes make headlines, they rarely drive the newscycle like Trump’s Twitter account used to do on a regular basis.
This de facto silence has allowed his political opponents to seize the narrative and the initiative. If Trump is to reclaim the political stage and mount a serious challenge to Kamala Harris, he must reclaim his digital megaphone.
Trump's brand of politics thrives on controversy and direct engagement. His knack for identifying and exploiting key cultural battlelines, turning otherwise forgotten issues into high profile national debates, was unmatched. Twitter was the arena where these battles were fought and won. Without it, Trump risks being relegated to the sidelines, his voice drowned out by the lies and misinformation peddled by the establishment media.
One need look no further than Kamala Harris’s recent extended media honeymoon, one which has managed to fluff her poll numbers up to a dangerous level, to see why this is a huge problem.
Trump’s lack of presence on Twitter has allowed this sickening spectacle to go on relatively unchallenged. If Trump’s account was still active, he would be able to directly break through the pro-Harris media cycle and change the momentum in his favor. However, because he is still only on Truth Social, his statements, however hilarious and clever, simply can’t break through. This tragic oversight has allowed the shameless Kamala Harris propaganda train to continue forward unabated.
The fact that Twitter has now become ‘X’ under Elon Musk (who has now officially endorsed Trump) and has been reengineered to favor free speech, makes Trump’s decision to stay exclusively on Truth Social all the more baffling.
While it is likely the case that Trump has a significant financial stake in the company, he still needs to return to Twitter as soon as possible, if only until the election. Because while a non-insignificant portion of his network is likely tied up in Truth Social, it will be of little use to him if he loses the election, as he will then almost certainly be jailed by his unhinged liberal opponents.
If Donald Trump is serious about winning the 2024 presidential race, he simply has to return to Twitter. The platform offers him a direct line to his supporters, the ability to set the political agenda and drive the newscycle, and also an incredibly powerful tool for fundraising and mobilization.
Trump cannot afford to be sidelined any longer. The digital battleground thunderdome awaits, and Trump's greatest weapon must be unsheathed one more time.
