NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Former President Donald Trump has returned to Facebook after a more than two-year ban.
鈥淚鈥橫 BACK!鈥 Trump posted on the site weeks after his personal account was reactivated. Trump, who is running his third campaign for the White House, also shared an old video clip in which he said: 鈥淪orry to keep you waiting. Complicated business.鈥
He posted the same clip on YouTube, which announced Friday that it, too, was welcoming him back.
Facebook parent Meta that it would be restoring Trump 鈥檚 personal account in the coming weeks, ending the suspension it imposed in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection, when Trump's supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol in a bid to halt the peaceful transition of power.
His access was restored to Facebook and Instagram on Feb. 9, the company confirmed.
鈥淭he public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying 鈥 the good, the bad and the ugly 鈥 so that they can make informed choices at the ballot box,鈥 Nick Clegg, Meta鈥檚 vice president of global affairs, wrote at the time.
The company also said it would be adding 鈥渘ew guardrails鈥 to ensure there are no 鈥渞epeat offenders鈥 who violate its rules, even if they are political candidates or world leaders.
Facebook, the world鈥檚 largest social media site, had been both a publicly tool and a crucial source of fundraising revenue for both of Trump's previous campaigns.
YouTube, in a tweet, announced earlier Friday that, 鈥淪tarting today, the Donald J. Trump channel is no longer restricted and can upload new content.鈥
鈥淲e 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,鈥 they wrote.
after Elon Musk took over the company, but the former president has thus far chosen not to tweet.
Instead, he has been posting frequently on his own Truth Social site, which he launched after the suspensions.
A Trump campaign spokesman and Meta representative both declined to comment.
