It was only a matter of time before former US president Donald Trump returned to X, the social media platform just a few weeks after his much-publicized expulsion from Twitter. And what better way to make a return than with a light-hearted joke, accompanied with a mug shot?
That’s exactly what he did on Monday, when he shared a post with a mug shot, with the caption, “If I was still your president, I would have pardoned myself for this offense. #Trumpreturns.”
The post was met with mixed reactions from the online community. Some took a serious stance and chided Trump while others vented their anger at X for allowing a “banned” leader to return. On the other hand, there were also some who took to the opportunity to poke fun at Trump, who was last seen on X in July 2020.
Born out of controversy, X is known for its laissez-faire attitude towards politics and public figures on its platform. Despite its exclusion of Trump, it has a different approach compared to other social media platforms that are more strict when it comes to the use of their platform to disseminate false news or other controversial content.
It remains to be seen how Trump’s return will be received by those in the X and social media community, and if his presence will be productive to the discourse. Nevertheless, it shows that the power of free speech and self-expression still hold strong on this platform.
