• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, May 7, 2021

Actually, the question is how to communicate that need on a social-media platform. And, no, it doesn’t rhyme with bitter.

Many analysts believe that vehicle is Facebook, a platform where 250 million people in the U.S. can gather, including those who still moan for the Trumpster.

Twitter was just a place to send out his incessant missives about who to hate and who should get fired, as well as opine about things that were a "disgrace."

Facebook is key. Perhaps more so now, given the platform’s decision to further the Trump ban with an "indefinite" timeline tag.

If you doubt Facebook’s power, think about this past December, when the former president and supposed "billionaire" said he needed cash to pay attorneys to plead his case about alleged widespread election fraud. (Cases that were thrown out, often by Trump-appointed judges.) A billionaire pleaded with his supporters to help.

The result? More than $200 million in donations was raised though a leadership PAC called Save America, created by Trump. And yes, it had a Facebook page.

The Republican National Committee took a small piece of the donations. The rest went to Trump, which he used for attorney costs (those are some expensive lawyers) and whatever other needs he had.

The effort bombarded supporters with emails and text messages — as many as 30 a day. Plus, an online donation payment process pulled supporters into a monthly/weekly donation cycle that for some, pulled thousands out of their checking accounts.

Back in December, Brendan Fischer, a campaign-finance specialist at the Campaign Legal Center, told The Guardian:

“I can think of no other president who has set up a leadership PAC immediately after losing an election and begun fundraising for it furiously. This is entirely, entirely unique. I think it’s basically going to be the vehicle for Trump’s post-White House political operation.”

And that’s why Facebook is important — because of its scale and messaging capability to secure funds.

Banning Trump from Facebook isn’t about "messaging" or First Amendment issues, which don't exist for a private company. His complaints are all about his need to raise money — to be spent on things like TV advertising and other media. And lawyers.