NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Donald Trump in talks to launch social media platform

By Frank Chung
news.com.au·
22 Feb, 2021 05:19 AM9 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally. Photo / AP
Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally. Photo / AP

Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally. Photo / AP

Former US president Donald Trump is actively holding meetings about launching his own social media company to rival Twitter, a key adviser says.

"There've been conversations and meetings already to this point, I think there's a very good chance (former) president Trump could set up his own social media platform in which case regardless of what the platform is it's going to be the biggest once he joins it," Jason Miller, former senior adviser to 2020 Trump campaign, said in an interview with The Australian and Sky News.

Trump was permanently banned from Twitter in the wake of the January 6 Capitol riots, which also resulted in his unprecedented second impeachment trial and acquittal in the Senate earlier this month.

Conservatives have long accused Twitter and other big tech platforms including Facebook and YouTube of bias and politically motivated censorship.

Alternative social media platforms and messaging apps such as Parler, Gab and Telegram, which were already popular with the far-right, have seen an influx of new users in the aftermath of Trump's deplatforming.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Read More

  • Crime boss lawyer Mark Pomerantz hired to investigate former president Donald Trump - NZ Herald
  • Donald Trump 2024 may be stopped by 14th Amendment of US Constitution - NZ Herald
  • Donald Trump repeats election conspiracies in series of interviews - NZ Herald
  • Donald Trump lawsuits and investigations: Six headaches for the former president - NZ Herald

Trump himself, however, is yet to return to social media in any form.

Donald Trump Jr last month announced he had joined Telegram, an encrypted messaging service similar to WhatsApp, saying "big tech censorship is getting worse" and he needed a "place that I can connect to you guys that respects free speech".

Jason Miller, former senior adviser to 2020 Trump campaign. Photo / AP
Jason Miller, former senior adviser to 2020 Trump campaign. Photo / AP

Parler was itself taken offline in early January after Amazon Web Services booted the site from its servers, and Apple and Google removed the app from their stores, citing the platform's alleged failure to police violent content.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Watchdog group Media Matters, however, said that while Parler played a role in the January 6 violence, it paled in comparison to the likes of Facebook – which has long been criticised for failing to crack down on extremist content.

"Apple and Google were being extraordinarily myopic and, frankly, hypocritical in singling out Parler," Media Matters president Angelo Carusone told Salon. "Not because I want to defend Parler, but the math is the math. Facebook was worse."

Parler sued Amazon for antitrust violations, but a Washington judge last month panned the complaint as "(failing) to allege basic facts" and denied a request for a preliminary injunction that would have forced Amazon to temporarily reinstate Parler's account.

It relaunched last week after more than a month off the internet, during which time the company ousted chief executive John Matze and replaced him with Tea Party Patriots co-founder Mark Meckler as interim CEO.

Discover more

World

Mob lawyer who could take down Trump

22 Feb 12:26 AM
World

After acquittal, Trump 2024? Not so fast

21 Feb 02:09 AM
World

Biden dedicates first month to erasing 'the former guy'

20 Feb 09:15 PM

In interviews slamming the company following his ouster, Matze revealed that Parler had been aggressively courting Trump last year to make the site his primary social media home, even going as far as to offer his real estate company a 40 per cent stake in the business, according to BuzzFeed.

The talks fell through, with Matze telling Axios he "didn't like the idea of working with Trump, because he might have bullied people inside the company to do what he wanted" and feared that if "we didn't sign the deal, he might have been vengeful and told his followers to leave Parler".

Supporters wait for Trump to go by in West Palm Beach. Photo / AP
Supporters wait for Trump to go by in West Palm Beach. Photo / AP

Trump never created a Parler account but in court filings – prior to being booted – Matze claimed the former president had considered joining under the pseudonym "Person X", and that "a desire to deny president Trump a platform on any large social media service" was part of the reason behind Amazon's decision.

Parler came back online last week "built on sustainable, independent technology and not reliant on so-called 'big tech' for its operations", Meckler said in a statement, vowing the platform would be "stronger than ever".

Trump's backing of a new platform could put him in an awkward situation with one of his staunchest supporters, podcast host and former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino, who has a large financial stake in Parler.

Likewise, Gab – which is home to the likes of Australian chef and conspiracy theorist Pete Evans – has long attempted to entice Trump to join. Earlier this month, there were inaccurate reports that Trump had returned to social media with a Gab account.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But the account was actually created five years ago by Gab CEO Andrew Torba to mirror Trump's Twitter profile, intended as a placeholder for if and when he ever decided to join the platform.

In a statement posted on the site, Torba then alleged that Trump would have joined if not for his son-in-law and former White House adviser Jared Kushner. "The only reason he's not using it right now to contact his base is because dopey advisers like Jared Kushner, who lost him the election, are blocking him from using it," Torba wrote.

"We will go on the record stating that we know 100 per cent for a fact that Jared Kushner is actively trying to keep Trump off Gab and has been for weeks. Because Gab is the only safe place left for conservatives that means Kushner is trying to keep Trump off the internet. Why?"

Other media outlets including CNN and Bloomberg had similarly reported in January that Kushner, as well as deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, had blocked efforts by other advisers to get Trump to join "fringe social media platforms".

TRUMP COULD SPLIT GOP

Violent protesters, loyal to President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol, in Washington. Photo / AP
Violent protesters, loyal to President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol, in Washington. Photo / AP

It comes as a new poll reveals the enormous sway the former President holds over his party, with nearly half of Republicans saying they would follow Trump if he breaks out on his own.

The USA Today poll published on Sunday showed 46 per cent of Republicans would be willing to ditch their party. The poll by Suffolk University surveyed 1000 Trump voters between February 15 and 19.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We feel like Republicans don't fight enough for us, and we all see Donald Trump fighting for us as hard as he can, every single day," Milwaukee small business owner Brandon Keidl told the pollsters.

"But then you have establishment Republicans who just agree with establishment Democrats and everything, and they don't ever push back."

Over the weekend, Trump was confirmed as the keynote speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, in what will be his first public appearance since leaving office.

He is expected to speak this coming Sunday, February 28, with Miller telling Newsmax he intends to share his views on growing Republican support for his "America First" agenda and what can be done ahead of the 2022 and 2024 elections.

"I think what you're going to hear President Trump talk about next Sunday on the 28th is the future of the Republican Party and the number of lessons that we learned in 2020, where we saw President Trump bring in a record amount of African American voters, Latino American voters on the GOP side, bigger numbers than we've seen in modern Republican presidential history," Miller said. "We have to keep these voters engaged in the party."

Last week, Trump launched a scathing attack on "political hack" Mitch McConnell, declaring the Republican Party "can never again be respected or strong" with the long-time Kentucky Senator at the helm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In a lengthy statement released by his Save America political action committee on Tuesday, the former president threw down the gauntlet to the Republican establishment, vowing "where necessary and appropriate" to back primary challenges for candidates "who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First".

"The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political 'leaders' like Senator Mitch McConnell at its helm," Trump said.

His attack came in response to a 20-minute tirade on the floor of the Senate by McConnell, who despite voting to acquit the former president, warned he had not "gotten away with anything yet" and may still face legal consequences over the Capitol riots.

McConnell had attempted to use the impeachment to draw a line under the Trump era, telling Politico that he would work to support "electable" Republican candidates in 2022, even if that means backing candidates Trump does not support.

"Mitch is a dour, sullen and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican Senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again," rump said in his statement. "We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful, compassionate leadership."

Speaking to The Australian and Sky News, Miller said Trump had used the "leverage" of threatening to start his own political party to ensure Republicans did not side with Democrats to convict him in his impeachment trial.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"(A third party) is not something he was proactively pursuing," he said.

"There were no serious conversations that were being had behind the scenes, and the only way he was ever going to even think about that is if he was pushed towards it. But good thing is we have gotten past impeachment – President Trump has been acquitted fully."

He continued, "I think the only possible way that there would have been any footsies with the idea of a third party was if there'd been some sort of move towards impeachment or any sort of bigger push, but President Trump is very much committed to the Republican party and he wants to see the party win back the majorities in our legislature."

One respondent in the USA Today poll, however, said Trump didn't need to create a third party. "I think he's just going to, you know, take over the Republican Party, much as he did in 2016," Pennsylvania man Francis Zovko said. "They all kind of thought he was a big joke, and by the end they weren't laughing any more."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

World

UK boosts fighter jet presence in Middle East amid Israel-Iran tensions

15 Jun 09:31 AM
World

'Crossed a new red line': Iran condemns Israeli nuclear site attacks

15 Jun 08:34 AM
World

Israeli cities struck by Iranian missiles, 10 dead, many injured

15 Jun 06:24 AM

It was just a stopover – 18 months later, they call it home

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
UK boosts fighter jet presence in Middle East amid Israel-Iran tensions
World

UK boosts fighter jet presence in Middle East amid Israel-Iran tensions

15 Jun 09:31 AM
'Crossed a new red line': Iran condemns Israeli nuclear site attacks
World

'Crossed a new red line': Iran condemns Israeli nuclear site attacks

15 Jun 08:34 AM
'I will forever hate you': Victims' torment after 'friend' sexually abused them as boys
New Zealand

'I will forever hate you': Victims' torment after 'friend' sexually abused them as boys

15 Jun 08:00 AM
Disney Insider: A go to guide to the ultimate Disneyland holiday
Travel

Disney Insider: A go to guide to the ultimate Disneyland holiday

15 Jun 07:00 AM
Israeli cities struck by Iranian missiles, 10 dead, many injured
World

Israeli cities struck by Iranian missiles, 10 dead, many injured

15 Jun 06:24 AM

Latest from World

UK boosts fighter jet presence in Middle East amid Israel-Iran tensions

UK boosts fighter jet presence in Middle East amid Israel-Iran tensions

15 Jun 09:31 AM

Keir Starmer announced the move as he headed to Canada for G7 talks.

'Crossed a new red line': Iran condemns Israeli nuclear site attacks

'Crossed a new red line': Iran condemns Israeli nuclear site attacks

15 Jun 08:34 AM
Israeli cities struck by Iranian missiles, 10 dead, many injured

Israeli cities struck by Iranian missiles, 10 dead, many injured

15 Jun 06:24 AM
'Discarded': Mass grave excavation uncovers Ireland's dark history of child burials

'Discarded': Mass grave excavation uncovers Ireland's dark history of child burials

15 Jun 04:48 AM
The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE
sponsored

The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search