Trump returns to Facebook, YouTube after two-year ban

Former US president Donald Trump has posted to YouTube and Facebook, in a return to social media platforms that he used to power his political rise until he was cut off following the 2021 attack on Congress by his followers.

Trump on Friday shared a video that appeared to be from one of his previous election speeches.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Complicated business,” Trump was seen saying in the video, captioned “I’M BACK.”

Alphabet Inc’s YouTube restored Trump’s channel earlier in the day.

Trump powered his improbable 2016 presidential campaign through his use of social media. His return to the platforms gives him access to key vehicles for political fundraising, allowing him to reach a combined 146 million followers across three major tech platforms as he makes another run for the presidency in 2024.

“We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run up to an election,” YouTube said in a tweet, referring to its move to restore his account.

Meta Platforms Inc had reinstated Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts earlier this year, while his Twitter account was restored in November by the platform’s new owner Elon Musk. Trump has yet to post on Twitter.

Trump’s campaign team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

YouTube banned Trump in 2021 for violating its policy of inciting violence after his supporters stormed the US Capitol when Congress began to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election.

Opponents of Trump’s return point to his messages on the Truth Social platform he founded in late 2021, where he has nearly five million followers, as evidence that he still poses the same risk that led various social media platforms to suspend him before.

Trump’s return to YouTube and Facebook is happening just as the Manhattan District Attorney’s office is considering criminal charges related to hush-money payments made to a porn star during Trump’s 2016 campaign, charges that Trump and his allies are arguing without evidence are politically motivated.

Trump also faces a $US250 million ($A374 million) civil fraud lawsuit brought by New York state, alleging a decade-long scheme to manipulate more than 200 asset valuations and Trump’s net worth to win better terms from banks and insurers. Trump has called the suit a witch hunt.