By Matthew Busch,
Former President Donald Trump posted images on his Instagram account Tuesday for the first time since Jan. 5, 2021.
Trump used his return to the platform to showcase the second series of his digital trading card (NFT) collection with the following post:
View this post on Instagram
Trump’s Facebook and Instagram account were both deactivated after the Jan. 6 Capitol incursion in 2021 but his accounts have since been reactivated.
In a subsequent Instagram post, with a picture of another digital trading card, Trump wrote, “I hope everyone notices, & I’m sure the Fake News won’t, that I’m leaving the price of the Trading Cards the same as last time, even though they are selling for MANY TIMES MORE (It’s called the MARKET!), & sold out almost immediately, because I want my fans & supporters to make money, & have fun doing it.”
Back in December, the former president teased that a major announcement was upcoming, but he had already announced his presidential campaign the month before.
The major announcement scheduled for Dec. 15 turned out to be the release of his digital trading card collection.
When the initial NFTs were released, many in the media mocked and criticized Trump, but the cards saw huge demand from fans and collectors, and they sold out within 12 hours.
As Trump mentioned in his Instagram post, the initial NFT release offered 45,000 cards at $99 each. While liberal politicians, late-night comedians, and media pundits were mocking Trump for the release, Trump had the last laugh with over $4 million in proceeds.
One of the frequently asked questions on the “Collect Trump Cards” website asks if the proceeds of the NFT sales will go to the Donald J. Trump for President campaign.
The answer: “NO. These Digital Trading Cards are not political and have nothing to do with any political campaign.”
More important than the announcement of the second series of Trump trading cards, however, is Trump’s renewed presence on social media.
In his 2016 campaign, Trump used social media to be in constant communication with voters and as a way to bypass what he believed to be a liberal media.
“I doubt I would be here if weren’t for social media, to be honest with you,” Trump told Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo. “Because there is a fake media out there, I get treated very unfairly by the media.”
The method and consistency with which Trump tweets and posts on other social media platforms goes a long way in defining who he is as a politician, and having those weapons at his disposal again going into 2024 could go a long way in helping him win the Republican nomination.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
