Donald Trump has asked Meta Platforms to unblock his Facebook and Instagram accounts, which were disabled following the Capitol Hill attacks two years ago.
A continued ban would be “a deliberate effort by a private company to silence Mr. Trump’s political voice,” according to a copy reviewed by USA TODAY of a letter sent by Trump’s campaign to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday.
According to Trump, Facebook “needs us more than we need them.”
Meta Platforms will decide this month whether to lift the ex-suspension president’s in order for him to run for President again.
Democrats and advocacy groups are opposed to Trump’s reappointment.
Trump has been barred from posting on Facebook and Instagram since his accounts were indefinitely suspended following the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Facebook initially stated that the ban was indefinite. After consulting with its outside board, the company stated that it would decide whether to lift it this month.
Last month, two Democratic lawmakers wrote to Meta, urging the company not to reinstate Trump on its platforms, claiming that his continued lies about the 2020 election are an assault on American democracy.
Elon Musk reactivated Trump’s Twitter account in November, but Trump has not tweeted since.
Conservatives argue that the bans are the result of politically motivated censorship by left-wing technology executives, which could unfairly stymie Trump’s presidential campaign.
NBC News broke the story about the Trump campaign’s request.
Trump returns to the campaign trail next week, more than two months after announcing his intention to run for president again. He will make a low-key stop in South Carolina, an early primary state.
Instead of a rally, the former president will travel to Columbia, South Carolina, to appear alongside prominent Republican supporters such as Gov. Henry McMaster and Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Trump, who some Republicans blame for the party’s poor showing in last year’s elections, will also appear with “members of the South Carolina congressional delegation and state lawmakers as he unveils his South Carolina Leadership Team,” according to the campaign.
As a number of Republicans consider challenging Trump for the Republican nomination, it appears that he is eager to demonstrate his support in a state where an early primary is once again expected.
South Carolina is also home to two potential Trump opponents: former Gov. Nikki Haley and current U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.
