Donald Trump was pictured Tuesday waving goodbye to fans in New York City as he plans to spend the summer at his golf club in New Jersey.
The former president spent two days holed up in Trump Tower in Manhattan before he was pictured leaving Tuesday afternoon, along with his heavy security detail.
It is unclear what was being discussed over the past two days but Trump has teased a possible presidential re-election run in 2024. He is also part of an investigation into possible charges of criminal tax fraud in the city.
Trump, 74, had flown into NYC from Florida on Sunday evening following a Mother’s Day brunch with wife Melania and youngest son Barron. Sources say he has moved his political and fundraising base to his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey for the summer.
And he may need to focus his attention in the immediate future on his new web page ‘From the Desk of Donald J. Trump,’ after data analyzed by NBC shows it is attracting a far smaller audience that his old social media.
Trump had used the site Monday to tantalize his supporters with the promise of a ‘bombshell’ election fraud case to come in Michigan, likening Joe Biden to a thief who has raided a jewelry store and vowing: ‘the diamonds must be returned’.
The new webpage, launched earlier this month, allows his fans to repost the statements to their Facebook and Twitter feeds since he was suspended from the platforms.
But not many appear to be doing so, according to analytics company BuzzSumo. In fact, it has only seen around 212,000 engagements since launching.
Just one of Trump’s tweets – where he had 88 million followers – would receive more than that alone.
Donald Trump left New York City Tuesday after two days holed up at Trump Tower. He is likely to head back to his Bedminster Golf club where he is set to spend the summer. Trump, 74, had flown into NYC from Florida on Sunday evening following a Mother’s Day brunch with wife Melania and youngest son Barron
The former president spent two days holed up in Trump Tower in Manhattan before he was pictured leaving Tuesday, along with his heavy security detail. It is unclear what was being discussed over the past two days but Trump has teased a possible re-election run in 2024. He is also part of an investigation into possible charges of criminal tax fraud in the city
Trump may need to focus his attention in the immediate future on his new page ‘From the Desk of Donald J. Trump’ after data analyzed by NBC shows it is attracting a far smaller audience that his old social media
A Twitter account made by Trump’s communications team has also been suspended a day after it was created.
The account, @DJTDesk, was said to have been set up to share statements from the former President which will also be published on his new website – ‘From the Desk of Donald J. Trump’.
The new @DJTDesk account appeared to be a way to circumvent that ban and allow him to communicate directly with Twitter users.
Only Trump can upload content to his new site, and users are not able to interact. He has previously said of his new statements: ‘I like this better than Twitter. Actually they did us a favor.’
Former President Donald Trump launched a webpage, www.DonaldJTrump.com/desk, which allows supporters to share the statements Trump has been emailing to the press to their social media platforms
The former president unveiled the website where only he can upload content, and doesn’t let users interact
Trump was banned from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in January in response to the Capitol riot, which the social media sites claim he stoked. It was an unprecedented move of censorship on a world leader and sparked a global debate over how much control social media and big tech should have over free speech.
Facebook’s Oversight Board last week upheld the ban on his accounts; Trump called that a ‘total disgrace’, adding that big tech will pay a ‘political price’ for taking away his free speech.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg now has another six months to consider what to do with Trump’s page.
In the meantime, the former president remains offline and unable to communicate with his tens of millions of social media supporters.
Assistant professor Jeremy Blackburn said: ‘In the case of Trump’s new platform, it is so technologically primitive that there is no way for his followers to even migrate. Who cares about a platform where you can’t even own the libs? There are plenty of other newsletters that people have been adding to their spam boxes for years.’
Trump senior adviser Jason Miller has said: ‘President Trump’s website is a great resource to find his latest statements and highlights from his first term in office, but this is not a new social media platform.
‘We’ll have additional information coming on that front in the very near future.’
Trump was pictured in Manhattan on the day a new book claimed son Don Jr .’s ex-wife Vanessa and daughter Tiffany both got ‘inappropriately – and perhaps dangerously – close’ to their Secret Service detail while he was president
Trump officially moved his residency for tax purposes from New York to Florida in late 2019. The move north helps Trump escape the coming summer Florida heat and puts the former president close to New York’s financial center and within helicopter distance of glitzy parties, where billionaires rub shoulders during the Hamptons summer season
Trump has frequently teased the possibility of running for the White House in 2024 but aides say a decision is unlikely before they have gauged the political currents in the 2022 House and Senate campaigns. It is unclear if Melania and Barron will accompany him to New Jersey – a decision which will likely depend on the teenager’s school schedule
An aide was pictured Tuesday carrying what appeared to be gifts as Trump left Manhattan for New Jersey
Instead of beating a path to Mar-a-Lago for an audience with Trump, a source said, ambitious Republicans will head to his New Jersey golf club at Bedminster. ‘All these people will want to have fundraisers for their campaigns and they’ll want to be at Donald Trump’s Bedminster club,’ the source added
Trump was pictured in Manhattan on the day a new book claimed son Don Jr.’s ex-wife Vanessa and daughter Tiffany both got ‘inappropriately – and perhaps dangerously – close’ to their Secret Service detail while he was president.
The bombshell claims of the ‘close’ relationships are made in ‘Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service’, the new book from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carol Leonnig.
Pictures taken by DailyMail.com show Trump jetting out of Florida on Sunday, boarding the Cessna alongside aides carrying a number of boxes onto the flight. Trump officially moved his residency for tax purposes from New York to Florida in late 2019.
The move north helps Trump escape the coming summer Florida heat and puts the former president close to New York’s financial center and within helicopter distance of glitzy parties, where billionaires rub shoulders during the Hamptons summer season.
Trump has frequently teased the possibility of running for the White House in 2024 but aides say a decision is unlikely before they have gauged the political currents in the 2022 House and Senate campaigns.
It is unclear if Melania and Barron will accompany him to New Jersey – a decision which will likely depend on the teenager’s school schedule.
Pictures taken by DailyMail.com show Trump boarding a private jet thought to be heading to New Jersey on Sunday evening
Boxes were pictured being loaded onto the jet Sunday. The reported move north puts Trump close to New York’s financial center and within helicopter distance of glitzy parties, where billionaires rub shoulders during the Hamptons summer season
Melania Trump wore polka dots to celebrate Mother’s Day at Mar-a-Lago Sunday, enjoying a final Florida brunch with Barron and Donald before the former president was pictured jetting off to spend summer in New Jersey
Instead of beating a path to Mar-a-Lago for an audience with Trump, a source said, ambitious Republicans will head to his New Jersey golf club at Bedminster.
‘All these people will want to have fundraisers for their campaigns and they’ll want to be at Donald Trump’s Bedminster club,’ the source added.
‘And you’ll get the big financial wizards from New York City who can visit for the day instead of having to stay overnight in Florida.’
Three of Trump’s adult children – Don Jr, Ivanka and Tiffany – have relocated to Florida.
Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner is from New Jersey, however, and his parents still live in the state. The couple were reportedly renovating a property on the Bedminster course for themselves, so may follow the former president north.
Only Eric Trump has remained permanently in the New York area.
Meanwhile, Cy Vance, the Manhattan district attorney, is looking into possible charges of criminal tax fraud involving Trump.
Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, is also looking into his affairs, for a civil case involving the Trump Organization and whether it falsely reported property values to get loans or tax benefits.
Neither Vance nor James has announced any charges. They are, however, speaking to many within Trump’s circle.
Trump had made Mar-a-Lago club his operational headquarters since leaving office in January.