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- Trump privately voiced why he feels he can't leave Truth Social, the Washington Post reports.
- Leaving for Twitter would risk Truth Social failing, and it's too closely associated with his brand, the Post reported.
Conservatives rejoiced when Elon Musk bought Twitter, hoping the "free speech" proponent would reinstate former President Donald Trump's account.
But even if Trump is invited back to Twitter, he's reportedly talked privately about being in a precarious business situation that makes it difficult to re-join.
Trump has told people that he can't ditch Truth Social — the social-media platform he launched after being banned from Twitter and Meta-owned Facebook last year — because it's too intertwined with his image and brand to let it fail, according to a Washington Post report published on Monday.
The reported comments from Trump to his allies highlight the potential impact of a Twitter return for the former president. Trump was one of Twitter's most prolific users, and he enjoyed a far larger following on the platform than on Truth Social.
A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. A spokesperson did not respond to the Post.
Trump has publicly expressed his commitment to Truth Social.
"I am staying on Truth. I like it better, I like the way it works, I like Elon, but I'm staying on Truth," he told Fox News on Musk's first full day as Twitter owner.
An SEC filing by the SPAC Digital World Acquisition Group revealed earlier this year that Trump had agreed to post first on Truth Social, and that he wouldn't on another platform for six hours after the initial Truth Social post. It didn't apply to political messaging, though, so any posts about his potential 2024 presidential campaign could theoretically be posted on other platforms at the same time.
Twitter and Meta banned Trump after a mob of his supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The former president had questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election without evidence, and continues to spread baseless claims about the election today.
Musk, who completed his $44 billion purchase of Twitter nearly two weeks, had criticized the company for banning Trump. However, he's said that no banned accounts would be reinstated without a review by a content moderation council.