Former US President Donald Trump evokes strong reactions, wherever he goes or whatever he does. Earlier this year, as one of the world's most powerful men found himself booted unceremoniously off most social media platforms, the reaction had been both explosive and instantaneous. And while devoted supporters railed against the unfairness of the situation and the opponents rejoiced, the politician quietly plotted his return.
While the door to his favourite platform (going by sheer volume of posts) continues to remain shut and inaccessible, some are wondering if Facebook might have had a change of heart. On Friday, Facebook’s independent Oversight Board delayed a decision on whether Trump will remain indefinitely suspended from Facebook and Instagram.
In a post last week, ironically on a platform that the former POTUS may never be able to access again, the board said that it would be announcing it's decision in the weeks to come, adding that the public comments deadline for this case had been extended.
"The Board will announce its decision on the case concerning former US President Trump's indefinite suspension from Facebook and Instagram in the coming weeks. We extended the public comments deadline for this case, receiving 9,000+ responses. The Board’s commitment to carefully reviewing all comments has extended the case timeline, in line with the Board’s bylaws. We will share more information soon," the post read.
Needless to say, many have interpreted this as a mark in Trump's favour. And while half the comments are against his return and the other half is celebratory, all seem to be convinced that this is a sign of his imminent return.
Since January, reports have also indicated that the well known businessman turned politician intends to come back online with his very own platform. In March, Former Trump advisor Jason Miller had told Fox News that the new platform was "going to be big" and would be operational within the next two or three months.
