Still In Trouble! Truth Social Launch Back To March

Donald Trump's first post on Truth Social. (photo: twitter @DonaldJTrumpJr)

JAKARTA - The soon-to-launch social media of former US President Donald Trump, Truth Social, is currently listed on the App Store with a launch date of February 21 which is "expected" to be President Day. However, according to a report by The New York Times, the launch was postponed until next March.

Based on screenshots in the App Store, Truth Social is likely to be very similar to Twitter, which was Trump's social network of choice before he was permanently banned following the January 6 riots in the US Capitol, Washington DC.

Truth Social will be his second attempt to create some sort of new platform that briefly launched in May 2021, but had to shut down in less than a month. The new app was created by Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), the Trump media company led by former Republican senator Devin Nunes.

Time for some Truth!!! pic.twitter.com/jvyteDb5gW

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 15, 2022

According to a Reuters report, this shifting launch date indicates the app is experiencing some development issues, after being launched and being used by around 500 beta testers. However, the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that intends to take TMTG to the public, which may also be the reason for the delay.

Trump himself is mentioned as one of the beta testers of Truth Social and has made his first post, although he himself is no longer able to share the information on Twitter. Donald Trump Jr., who still has Twitter privileges, tweeted a screenshot of Trump's first Truth Social post: “Get ready! Your favorite president will see you soon!”

According to Reuters, Trump's Truth Social account currently has 317 followers as of Wednesday, February 16 evening. Trump himself had 88 million followers on Twitter before he was banned on the platform.

In response to the delay, TMTG did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge, regarding the app's exact launch date. It's unclear if the app will be available on non-iOS platforms, though netizens can join the waiting list on the Truth Social website.