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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Josh Salisbury

Donald Trump’s new social media app hit with teething trouble after launch

Donald Trump’s new app, Truth Social

(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)

Donald Trump's new social media app has been hit with teething troubles within just hours of launching.

Truth Social, which launched late Sunday on the Apple app store, marks the former US president’s return to social media after being banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube over the US Capitol Riot.

He was accused of posting inflammatory messages inciting violence before his supporters stormed the Capitol.

Now some users of the app have reported being unable to register for an account.

Others were added to a wait list with a message which read: “Due to massive demand, we have placed you on our waitlist.”

The difficulties come despite users being invited to test the platform in recent weeks before its launch.

The Standard has reached out for further comment.

Mr Trump's son Donald Trump Jr last week posted a screenshot of his father's first message on the platform.

He wrote: "Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!"

(AP)

The Trump Media & Technology Group venture behind the app has billed it as a free speech platform but similar competitors have not achieved anywhere near the levels of popularity of sites such as Twitter.

The former Republican US representative Devin Nunes, who leads the venture, told Fox News on Sunday: "This week we will begin to roll out on the Apple App Store. That's going to be awesome, because we're going to get so many more people that are going to be on the platform.

"Our goal is, I think we're going to hit it, I think by the end of March we're going to be fully operational at least within the United States.”

However, it has been reported Mr Nunes was encouraging users to post more on the app on Friday in an apparent attempt to drum up interest.

There had been speculation the app launch could be delayed over a regulatory probe into Digital World, a special purchase acquisition company (Spac) which looks likely to be used to take Trump Media & Technology Group public, according to The Daily Telegraph.

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