What's the deal with Donald Trump's own 'social network'?

HE'S back! Well, nearly. Donald Trump has launched his own online communication platform. While the interface looks more like a blog than a social network, it will still enable visitors to share content from the former president of the United States on Twitter and Facebook.

His fans have been scrutinizing his every move, awaiting his 'comeback'. And in the end, Donald Trump will not make his big return to social media via the controversial application Parler, but on his own site. The former head of state unveiled on Tuesday, May 4 a new section on his site donaldjtrump.com called "Desk."

With a 30-second video the former president announced the launch of his platform with great pomp, describing it as "a beacon of freedom" and "a place to speak freely and safely." It also was the opportunity for Donald Trump to reference his ban from Twitter, which he denounces at the beginning of the video.

The online 'desk' vs the Oval Office?

This new section of his website, Desk, supposed to symbolize the office of the former president, could be a nod to the famous Oval Office of the President of the United States. On this platform, Donald Trump publishes messages, with a design resembling the interface of Twitter. Messages that date back to March 24: Donald J. Trump - 12:05 pm - March 24, 2021 - "David Shafer did a phenomenal job as Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, recruiting and training a record number of volunteers. No one in Georgia fought harder for me than David! He NEVER gave up! He has my Complete and Total Endorsement for re-election."

Twitter sharing?

Before being banned from Twitter following the Capitol Hill riots on January 6, Donald Trump was one of the most active personalities on the social network. His torrents of messages published on his Twitter account marked his term as head of the United States and were endlessly debated in the press. An absence that could be short-lived because on his blog, the former American president wants to give visitors the ability to share his messages on Twitter and Facebook.

It's already possible to republish one of his messages on Mark Zuckerberg's platform; however the "Share" function is still unavailable on Twitter.

Visitors to the site can "like" the posts as they would on Facebook and Twitter. However, the number of "likes" is not counted on Donald Trump's platform. Anyone interested can sign up to receive an alert when the businessman has published a new message. A function that is also offered by other community platforms. Given that the "Desk" section aims to replicate the office of Donald Trump, registrations of internet users do not seem to be possible.

The former president also demonstrates that he's as business savvy as ever since visitors are able to make a donation directly from this platform by clicking on the button dedicated to fundraising. Clever!