Trump's Twitter account reinstated after Musk poll

But the former US president says he will stick with his own Truth Social app for now

On Truth Social, a social media platform founded by Donald Trump after he was banned from Twitter, conversation is often limited to sycophantic memes and conspiratorial memes. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Almost all of Mr Trump's followers are die-hard supporters and criticism of the former president is rare. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump's signature line on 'The Apprentice' was: 'You're Fired!' Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Many memes lionise the former president. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump hopes to get a second term in office in 2024. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

A not-true ReTruth: Trump-backed, election-denying candidate Kari Lake lost to Democrat Katie Dobbs in the Arizona governor race. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump suggests voter fraud in the Arizona governor race. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump attacks Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who may be well positioned to duel the former president in the 2024 White House race. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Many Maga Republicans miss Mr Trump. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump attacks mail-in ballots that allow millions of Americans who are unable to vote on election day to participate. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Some of the Trump supporters that stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, used American flags to attack police officers. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Supporters credit Mr Trump with not starting any new wars. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

How many moves in a game of chess? Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Another ReTruth. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

The 'Greatest Of All Time'? That remains to be seen. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump was expected to announce a new run for the White House on November 15. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump blamed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for Republicans' poor showing in the midterm elections. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump still attracts fierce loyalty from his 'Maga' supporters. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump suggests he would perform better than Ron DeSantis. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

A variation on the election-denying theme. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump has continued to make his baseless claims of election fraud in races he or his fellow Republicans lost. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Another ReTruth. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump returns to his debunked claims of widespread election fraud. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Another teaser for his November 15 announcement. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump 'ReTruths' a message from a follower. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

The 'legend' will be 78 at the 2024 election, the same age Joe Biden was when he got elected. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump is expected to announce he will run again for president in 2024. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Mr Trump teases his announcement on November 15. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social

Truth Social is only available in the US, Canada and Brazil. Reuters

Donald Trump's Twitter account was reinstated on Saturday after a majority of respondents in a poll run by Elon Musk said they wanted him unbanned.

However, the former US president indicated that he had no immediate intention of returning to the social media platform.

In all, 51.8 per cent of more than 15 million respondents voted in favour in the poll, which simply asked: "Reinstate former President Trump".

In another tweet, Twitter's new owner wrote, "Vox Populi, Vox Dei," which means the voice of the people is the voice of God.

Whether Mr Trump should be allowed back on Twitter has been a topic of ferocious debate since he was banned after the January 6, 2021 mob attack on the US Capitol for allegedly inciting violence.

But the conversation over the extent to which free speech should be protected even if it leads to violence appeared to be moot for the moment in Mr Trump's case, as he indicated he would not jump back on to Twitter.

The former president, who is the subject of several legal investigations previously had more than 88 million followers and would tirelessly tweet everything from policy announcements to attacks on his rivals.

"I don't see any reason for it," the former president said when asked whether he planned to return to Twitter by a panel at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership meeting.

He said he would stick with his new platform Truth Social, the app developed by his own start-up, which he said had better user engagement than Twitter and was doing "phenomenally well".

Mr Musk reinstated Mr Trump's account moments after the poll closed. A scroll through the former president's final tweets before he was banned show how aggressively he was pushing his baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

Those claims have been blamed for helping foment the violence on January 6.

Mr Trump, who on Tuesday launched a bid to regain the White House in 2024, praised Mr Musk and said he had always liked the world's richest man.

Mr Trump also said Twitter suffered from bots, fake accounts and that the problems it faced were "incredible".

But how long the attention-craving former president will be able to resist the platform and its enormous bullhorn as he campaigns for the White House remains to be seen.

Elon Musk latest - in pictures