Former President Trump launches blog as Facebook oversight board upholds social media ban

(NewsNation Now) — Former President Donald Trump launched a blog Tuesday, providing him a new way to connect with followers online after both Facebook and Twitter banned him from their platforms.

The blog is a new section containing posts “from the desk of Donald J. Trump” that went live on his former campaign website Tuesday, including a video and statements penned by the former president.

“In a time of silence and lies, a beacon of freedom arises,” text in the video at the top of the blog says.

Many of the statements contained in the blog were previously shared as separate press releases on the website, but are now collected on one page and are shareable on Facebook and Twitter.

Back in March, Trump adviser Jason Miller told Fox News the former president was set to launch his own platform in two to three months that would “completely redefine the game.“

Miller said that the new website is “a great resource to find his latest statements and highlights from his first term in office, but this is not a new social media platform.” He added that they will have more information about the platform in the near future.

The website indicates its supported by Save America JFC, a political action committee affiliated with the Trump campaign.

Trump launched the blog one day before Facebook’s independent oversight panel upheld his indefinite suspension from the social network and Instagram.

Facebook’s quasi-independent Oversight Board found the social network failed to impose the proper penalty on Trump saying “The Oversight Board has upheld Facebook’s decision to suspend Mr. Trump’s access to post content on Facebook and Instagram on January 7, 2021. However, as Facebook suspended Mr. Trump’s accounts ‘indefinitely,’ the company must reassess this penalty.”

The board ruled that Facebook must examine the “arbitrary penalty” of the indefinite suspension it imposed and decide the appropriate penalty within six months.

It has said it received more than 9,000 comments on the Trump case, more than any other, and attributed a delay in announcing the decision to this volume.

Twitter has said its ban on Trump, which it enacted due to the “risk of further incitement of violence,” will remain even if he runs for office again.

Alphabet Inc’s YouTube has said it will lift its suspension of Trump’s channel when it determines the risk of real-world violence has decreased.