Donald Trump has returned to Facebook after being banned following the deadly Capitol riot more than two years ago.
The former US president wrote “I’M BACK!” in a post on its official page on Friday.
The message also included an old video of the Republican Party politician at a rally saying, “Sorry to keep you waiting, complicated matter”.
He posted the same clip to YouTube, which announced on Friday that it was also hosting it.
It comes as it was announced that Mr Trump will hold the first rally of his campaign to run for President of the United States in 2024.
He will host the event on March 25 in Waco, Texas – a state where he has a large following – as he prepares to fight to become the Republican Party’s nomination.
Mr. Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were restored in February by Metathe company behind the two social media sites.
However, he had not posted until now, continuing to use his own, much smaller social media site, Truth Social, which he created in response to his ban.
His Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended on January 7, 2021 following the Capitol Riots, where an insurgency broke out in Washington DC in which hundreds of his supporters stormed the US legislature.
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His last message on his Facebook page was made on January 6, 2021, when he wrote, “I ask everyone in the US Capitol to stay peaceful.”
Meta maintained the suspension for two years, but in January announced that it was lifting the ban.
“The public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying – the good, the bad and the ugly – so they can make informed choices at the ballot box,” wrote Nick Clegg, vice president of global affairs at the time. Meta. .
The tech company said in a blog post that it would be add “new safeguards” to ensure there are no “repeat offenders” who break its rules.
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Trump will be banned again ‘if necessary’
Mr. Trump was also banned from Twitter following the Capitol riots, but his the account was restored in November last year after Elon Musk bought the site for $44bn (£38bn)..
M Musk called the banning of Mr. Trump’s account a “mistake” and “morally wrong”.
The Tesla founder launched a poll on the site, along with the words “Vox Populi, Vox Dei” – a Latin phrase meaning “the voice of the people is the voice of God” – asking users to vote on whether Mr. Trump had to be allowed to return.
After over 15 million votes, the result was that he had to do it and his account was reinstated.
However, Mr Trump, who has more than 80 million followers, has yet to use the account and has previously said: “I see no reason to (come back).”
