Facebook's Trump Suspension Upheld, May Be Reinstated Soon Though

Former President Trump's ban from Facebook has been upheld, but that may change and impact Washington, D.C.'s relationship with social media.

The Facebook Oversight Board announced this morning that former President Donald Trump is still NOT welcome to use the iconic social media platform, but there's a catch. The board also decided that the suspension can be lifted six months post-suspension should they choose. This is big news for Washington, D.C. insiders and republicans around the country who have been biting their lips as they wait to see how things might unfold.

Donald J. Trump's former Facebook pageFacebook

Trump, who was banned from Facebook on January 7, 2021 (the day after the Capitol riots), has yet to comment publicly on the upheld suspension news. Facebook decided several months ago that Trump's comments encouraged the riot, with Mark Zuckerberg going on to post that the risk to America was too great to continue giving President Trump a platform on the social network.

That six months time frame is soon drawing to a close though, and Trumo could be back on Facebook by July 7, 2021.

Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Post on January 7Facebook

Zuckerberg's January statement which ended with the following, is a clear indication that the ban is likely not permanent.

"We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great. Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete."

Now that several months have elapsed, there's speculation about Trump retuning to the platform as well as several others.

"Facebook and Twitter are simply more active platforms when you have a big character like Trump putting content out each day," explains Washington, D.C.-area social media consultant Sarah P., who declined to share her last name because she works for a government office. "And that's exactly what Trump did -- he created content, and that's the business social media is in. We hate to admit it because we may not like the content he spews, but he was sort of the ultimate social media influencer, and networks like Facebook rely on that level of activity to keep shareholders happy. Activity brings ad dollars, and brands can stomp their feet saying they don't like his message, but the vast majority of brands sign up to spend their dollars on active platforms. He kept those platforms interesting and most importantly, bubbly enough that we were all chatting about them daily. It's a weird cycle, isn't it?"

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The Oversight Board that determined this most recent Trump vs. Facebook ruling was made up of members not affiliated with Facebook, and believe it or not, included the former Prime Minister of Denmark. Seriously, major international government officials were deciding this social media fate -- how ancient Rome, right? Come July 7, though, the decision will be back with Mark Zuckerberg himself on whether or not to reinstate Trump on Facebook.

In the meantime, Trump launched his own social media network within a portion of his website that appears to be blog-like in format, although it's styled more like Twitter. People can sign up for post alerts on the platform via email and phone numbers, and it seems there's a "like" feature for his posts. Users are also able to share his posts from this new website function to their own Facebook and Twitter accounts, thus expanding Trump's voice and reach whether other social networks like it or not.

It's called "From The Desk of Donald J. Trump" and can be seen here.

What do you think? Should former President Donald Trump be welcome back on Facebook? We'd love to hear your feedback in the comments section below.