Trump says he has done 'limited media' so America can see how much of a 'disaster' Biden is with inflation, the border and the Middle East - as new poll shows half of Republicans still think he is the 'true' president
Former President Donald Trump angrily rejected reports that social media bans had sent him sliding into irrelevance, insisting Monday that he was staying out of the headlines so attention would stay on President Joe Biden's troubles with inflation, the border and the Middle East.
His comments come as his lieutenants plan a new social media platform to propel Trump back into the daily conversation.
And a new poll suggests the former president retains his grip on Republicans, with a majority of the party still proclaiming Trump to be the 'true president.'
But in a statement published on his website, Trump hit back at media reports that his online presence was no longer making an impact.
Former President Trump, pictured during a visit to Trump Tower in New York Monday, issued a statement saying he had not been doing many media interviews in order to keep attention on President Biden's crises. He blasted claims that his website was struggling for attention and said a new social media platform was coming soon
Trump published his statement on 'From the Desk of Donald J. Trump' a blog-style site that he uses to make sharing his comments easier for supporters
'What WaPo and other members of the fake news media don’t report is that Joe Biden is of no interest to anybody - 21 million less people watched his joint address to Congress than watched mine,' he said.
Trump had more than 80 million Twitter followers, sending his every utterance viral, before he was deplatformed in the wake of the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Last week, the Washington Post reported that statements published to Trump's new blog are shared on average fewer than 2000 times each. His website is reportedly attracting fewer visitors than the pet-adoption site Petfinder or the recipe site Delish.
Trump said his website was only a temporary way to get his message out and that he was keeping a low profile while Biden stumbled from crisis to crisis.
'I have been doing very limited media so the American public could see just how big of a disaster the Biden administration has been, and I was right,' he said.
'Inflation, the border crisis, our forgotten military, war in the Middle East, all as a result of Biden’s mistakes.
'Our country is being destroyed.'
Trump team is weighing options for rallies starting in June, either at airports or open-air venues. Here Trump is seen at Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in November
His words will raise eyebrows among critics who will wonder why he felt the need to hit back at media reports if he wanted to keep the focus on Biden.
Trump also disputed the Washington Post analysis, saying his site attracted 36.7 million views over the past month.
And he teased plans for a new platform.
'It will happen soon,' he said. 'Stay tuned!'
Meanwhile, an Ipsos/Reuters survey showed how he is still the dominant force in the Republican Party.
When asked who they believed to be the 'true president' some 53% of Republicans answered Trump, compared to 3% of Democrats.
The poll also found that about a quarter of adults believed last year's election was tainted by illegal voting, including more than half of all Republicans.
Trump relocated his base of operations from Florida to New Jersey this month as he mulls the next phase in his political comeback.
Aides are planning two outdoor rallies next month, followed by another just ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.
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