Trump asking others to tweet insults on his behalf, report says

Former president was banned from platform following riot at US Capitol

Donald Trump has been forced to ask his allies to tweet insults for him after having his account permanently banned, a report has said.

The former president had his Twitter account permanently suspended following the riot on the US Capitol on 6 January, for which he is facing impeachment on the grounds of incitement.

According to a report by The Daily Beast, Mr Trump is becoming frustrated that he cannot weigh in online against his political enemies, particularly Wyoming representative Liz Cheney.

Rep Cheney, the third-highest ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, was among 10 GOP congressmen and women who voted for Mr Trump’s impeachment on 13 January.

Reports have said the former president has become fixated on taking down the House representative for her vote against him now that he has left the White House.

However, he can no longer access his go-to tool for lashing out at his enemies and exerting his power over the Republican party following his ban in January.

The Daily Beast reported that a person with direct knowledge said Mr Trump “has written out insults and observations” about Rep Cheney and other political adversaries.

“But with no ability to tweet them himself, he has resorted to suggesting put-downs for others to use or post to their own Twitter,” the outlet reported.

CNN reported on Friday that Mr Trump has been repeatedly questioning his Republican allies in the House to remove Rep Cheney from her position as the House Republican conference chair and run a primary candidate against her.

The report came as hundreds of people gathered in Cheyenne on Thursday to listen to Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, an ardent supporter of Mr Trump, and Donald Trump Jr, repeatedly criticise her.

Rep Gaetz said: “Washington DC mythologises the establishment powerbrokers like Liz Cheney for climbing in a deeply corrupt game. But there are more of us than there are of them.

“You can send a representative who actually represents you, and you can send Liz Cheney home – back home to Washington DC," he added.

Twitter took drastic action to ban Mr Trump from Twitter in January because of the “risk of further incitement of violence” if it let the outgoing president continue to use their platform.

Experts have observed how the 74-year-old has made use of Twitter in an unprecedented way for a political leader, often using it to lash out personally and professionally at a variety of people.

Since his suspension and the end of his term as president, Mr Trump has set up an Office of the Former President in Florida through which to manage his public affairs.

The office will manage his correspondence, appearances and other “official activities to advance the interests of the United States" and "carry on the agenda” of his administration.