Trump returns to X for first time since dropping infamous 2023 mugshot on Elon Musk's platform

Republican presidential candidate and former President Trump returned to X on Monday for the first time since posting his infamous mugshot to Elon Musk’s platform in August 2023. 

Trump's account shared two campaign ads on the X Monday. 

The first ad, spanning 2 minutes and 30 seconds, narrates through newscaster audio Trump’s election victory in 2016, his inauguration speech in 2017 and the success of his presidency before fast forwarding to 2024 and the multiple indictments lodged against the former president. Trump is heard speaking over a video montage, "I never thought anything like this could happen in America."

"The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it. The more that a broken system tells you that you’re wrong, the more certain you should be that you must keep pushing ahead," Trump says. "They want to take away my freedom because they will never let them take away your freedom. They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you. They’re not coming after me. They’re coming after you. And I just happen to be standing in their way. And I will never be moving."

"When I’m re-elected, I will totally obliterate the deep state," he concludes. "As long as we have pride in our beliefs, courage in our convictions, and faith in our God, then we will not fail." 

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Trump followed up his X return with a written post, and also shared a graphic advertising his 8 p.m. ET livestream with Musk to be broadcast on X Monday evening. 

"Are you better off now than you were when I was president?" Trump wrote in one post. "Our economy is shattered. Our border has been erased. We're a nation in decline. Make the American Dream AFFORDABLE again. Make America SAFE again. Make America GREAT Again!" 

His account later shared a second, 34-second ad, accompanied by a link to his campaign website. In the video, Trump looks directly at and walks toward a camera with audio of himself declaring a "final battle" to "demolish the deep state," "expel the warmongers from our government," drive out the globalists," "cast out the communists, Marxists and fascists," "throw off the sick political class that hates our country," "route the fake news media" and "liberate America from these villains once and for all." 

"Join President Trump’s fight for America," the ad concludes with words on the screen. 

Trump has opted to use his own platform, TRUTH Social, for much of his 2024 campaign. 

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Monday marks the first time Trump has been active on X since August 2023. 

At a downtown Atlanta jail, Trump had his mugshot taken in connection to the case brought by the since-disgraced Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump’s X account later shared a photo of the mugshot. Beneath the image, the post read: "ELECTION INTERFERENCE, NEVER SURRENDER! DONALDJTRUMP.COM" 

Before then, Trump’s account hadn’t posted on X since Jan. 8, 2021, when he announced he would not be attending Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20. 

Jan. 8, 2021, was the same day the platform formerly known as Twitter "permanently suspended" Trump’s account, citing "the risk of further incitement of violence." The Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol happened two days earlier. 

Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022. He reinstated Trump’s account in November 2022 shortly after the former president announced his 2024 bid to return to the White House. 

Trump's account had been permanently suspended for 22 months. Even after Musk lifted the ban, though, Trump largely did not return. 

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year attempted to launch his GOP presidential campaign via X, but the livestream event crashed and was mired by glitches.