Trump’s Facebook ban conveniently set to expire before next presidential election

Mark your calendars. 

Facebook announced Friday that it intends to consider welcoming former President Donald Trump back on its platform on Jan. 7, 2023. The news follows on the heels of Trump shuttering his own blog, reportedly (at least in part) due to low readership. 

The company, which was lectured in May over Trump’s suspension by the so-called Oversight Board that it created and funds, couched Friday’s move in terms of “accountability” and “transparency.” 

“When the suspension is eventually lifted,” reads a blog post announcing the news, “there will be a strict set of rapidly escalating sanctions that will be triggered if Mr. Trump commits further violations in future, up to and including permanent removal of his pages and accounts.”

Notably, Trump may not actually be back and posting on Jan. 7. Facebook says that when that cursed Saturday comes, it will officially “look to experts to assess whether the risk to public safety has receded.”

And, just to keep you on the edge of your seat, Facebook says it may kick the can down the road once again — just in time for the 2024 presidential primaries. 

“If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded.”

SEE ALSO: Facebook’s Oversight Board upholds Trump’s suspension

In other words, this announcement doesn’t actually change that much. Trump still finds himself in Facebook’s waiting room. We hope the magazines are nice.