Twitter really wants it to know that it will go well after banning former President Donald Trump from the platform in January.
In its earnings report on Tuesday, the company provided a single disclosure on user growth in the current quarter, saying it experienced above-average growth throughout the month despite “unusual circumstances”.
While Twitter didn’t explicitly say what those “unusual circumstances” were, it’s not hard to figure out. Twitter outright banned Trump on Jan. 8 after he continued to post encouraging and defending riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The company also permanently banned thousands of accounts linked to the Qanon movement at the same time.
Twitter shares rose to 13% since Wednesday morning.
Twitter bans and Twitter Qanon sparked fears that the company’s fate was tied to Trump and his followers and that the bans would harm future growth. But the company made an additional effort Tuesday to prove that Trump was not the only major user of the platform.
“We’re a platform that is obviously much bigger than any topic or account,” Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said Tuesday.
He also noted the dozens of accounts that have millions of followers and that 80% of all users are outside the U.S.
“We have a global service. Nor do we depend solely on the news and politics that drive Twitter,” Dorsey said.
As for Trump returning to Twitter one day, the company’s chief financial officer, Ned Segal, made it clear Wednesday that it is not an option. Segal told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Wednesday that Trump would never be allowed to return to the post, even if he decides to run for office again.