Trump launches new 'communications' platform

Donald Trump has launched a new "communications" website, which says it will publish content "straight from the desk" of the former US president.

Mr Trump was banned by Twitter and suspended by Facebook and YouTube after the Capitol riots in January.

The former president has since been releasing statements by press release - which the new website will now host.

Users will be able to like posts - and also share them on Twitter and Facebook accounts.
 

The move comes a day before a decision is due from Facebook's Oversight Board on whether to permanently ban Mr Trump.

Mr Trump's senior adviser, Jason Miller, had previously said a new social media platform was to be launched. "This new platform is going to be big," he said in March.
 

But Mr Miller tweeted on Tuesday that the new website was not the social media platform he had previously hyped.

"We'll have additional information coming on that front in the very near future," he said.

The website is reportedly built by Campaign Nucleus, the digital services company created by Mr Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale.

Several posts on the site repeat debunked claims that last year's presidential election was rigged.

Facebook's Oversight Board will announce its decision on whether Mr Trump is to be permanently banned from the platform on 09:00 EST (14:00 BST).

If he is allowed back on to the site, Facebook will have seven days to reactivate his account.

YouTube has said they will reactivate Mr Trump's account when the threat of "real-world violence" reduces.

Twitter, where Mr Trump had 88 million followers, has banned him permanently.