Donald Trump appears as 'crazy uncle' who 'spouts nonsense' in bid to become President

Donald Trump's "inflammatory comments" on social media were a "novelty" during his time in office but now he appears more like a "crazy uncle at a family party", a politics expert told Express.co.uk. The former US president will continue his "rants" now he has been allowed back on mainstream social media but it will mean "very little" in terms of gaining more support for his 2024 presidential bid, according to author William S Bike.

Bike told Express.co.uk: "Unlike during his 2016 run for president and during his presidency, Trump on Facebook and Twitter will mean very little.

"Then, his inflammatory statements were a novelty and journalists and the public waited for every tweet or posting. Now, Trump seems more and more like the crazy uncle at a family party who spouts nonsense and everyone ignores."

He said the former President, 76, has been posting on his own social media site Truth Social, which he founded in October 2021, but "nobody cares".

Bike, author of Winning Political Campaigns: A Comprehensive Guide to Electoral Success, added: "As a former president, it’s not like he can’t issue a news release or ask to be on Fox News or right-wing radio. He does, and nobody pays much attention anymore. He’s already been able to reach his supporters in an unfiltered way through these means, and it has not bolstered support for his presidential bid beyond his base.

"Time moves swiftly in the social media world, and it has moved past Trump."

The political writer said there is more polarisation in America than at any time since the civil war and Trump "continuing his rants on more visible platforms isn’t going to change things".

Instead, he believes that the more "crazy things" he posts online will make him lose supporters in the run-up to the 2024 US Presidential election next November.

But he said this won't stop him from writing "increasingly inflammatory" posts on his social media channels once these are reinstated.

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Bike added: "Like the kid in class who acts up and then acts up even more when his classmates and the teacher stop paying attention, Trump on the more popular social media will become increasingly inflammatory, making his Republican opponents for the nomination, governors Ron DeSantis and Glenn Youngkin, and his Democratic opponent Joe Biden, look ever-more responsible by comparison."

However, Charles Denyer, a historian and national security expert, told Express.co.uk that Trump has the ability to corral his followers on social media like no other president in recent memory.

He said: "His reinstatement of his Facebook and Twitter accounts is just another step in his quest to galvanize his base and march forward into the primaries next year."

Polls highlight that Florida's governor Ron DeSantis - who has been tipped as Trump's biggest challenger - has been rising in popularity within the Republican Party but Mr Denyer said his ability to defeat Trump will only likely be achieved if it is "a two-way race".

The politics expert, and author of Number One Observatory Circle: The Home of the Vice President of the United States, said for DeSantis and other anti-Trump candidates, the race will likely involve - at least for the initial primaries - upwards of 10 candidates.

He explained: "That's the problem for DeSantis as Trump can slowly and methodically grind away one primary victory after another by simply having his ardent base show up and propel him to victory with a simple majority of the vote.

"While many speak to the coronation of DeSantis as the eventual nominee - and it may very well happen - remember that the more candidates that run, the greater the chances that Trump will ultimately prevail and win the nomination.

"Having his Twitter and Facebook accounts back further adds ammunition to his 2024 campaign."