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Former President Donald Trump’s upcoming social network, called Truth Social, is currently listed on the App Store with an “expected” February 21st launch date (Presidents’ Day), but The New York Times reports that the release has been pushed to March.
Based on screenshots on the App Store, Truth Social looks like it will be quite similar to Twitter, which was Trump’s preferred social network before he was permanently banned following the January 6th riots at the US Capitol. Truth Social will be his second attempt at making some kind of new platform; he launched a blog in May, but it was shut down in less than a month. The new app is being made by the Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), Trump’s media company helmed by former US Rep. Devin Nunes.
While the shifting date could suggest the app is having some development troubles, it has already rolled out to about 500 beta testers, according to Reuters. However, the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that intends to take TMTG public, which may also be a reason for the delay.
It appears Trump is one of the Truth Social beta testers and has made his first post — though he can’t share that information on Twitter himself. Donald Trump Jr., who still has Twitter privileges, tweeted a screenshot of Trump’s first Truth Social post instead: “Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!”
According to Reuters, Trump’s Truth Social account had 317 followers as of late Wednesday. Trump had 88 million followers on Twitter at the time he was banned.
TMTG didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment about the app’s launch date. It’s unclear if the app will be available on non-iOS platforms, though you can join a waiting list on the Truth Social website.