Donald Trump broke his year-long X (formerly Twitter) silence with a 2.5-minute ad, claiming his only crime was defending the nation, while preparing for an unscripted chat with Elon Musk on Monday.

In a dramatic return to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Trump unleashed a flurry of posts after a year-long absence. His comeback includes a 2.5-minute video montage of his greatest hits and grievances, asserting his only misdeed was defending the nation. As if the platform’s name change wasn't chaotic enough, Trump will now sit down for an unhinged tête-à-tête with Elon Musk, promising a spectacle that perhaps only a digital colosseum can contain.

Trump's social media reappearance comes with the timing and fanfare akin to a Broadway comeback tour. At precisely 8 p.m. ET on Monday, he will go live in an all-caps-free (maybe) conversation with Elon Musk. This promises to be the kind of prime-time content that could rival even the most gripping reality shows – unscripted, uncensored, and undoubtedly unpredictable.

The former president's first post in nearly a year features a 2-minute, 31-second video ad that plays out like a highlight reel of his most contentious moments. It includes snippets of his speeches, ominous shots of the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, and of course, segments on his various indictments. With an air of melodrama that can only be described as quintessentially Trump, he declares, 'The only crime I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.' Clearly, subtlety was not among the crimes he's willing to confess to.

Not pausing to savor the moment, Trump launched several more posts within the hour. These ranged from his standard fare of criticizing the current state of the nation to repeatedly plugging his upcoming verbal joust with Musk.

Trump's return to X is a marked pivot from his last activity on the platform, which was as subtle as a bulldozer in August 2023. That post featured his mugshot from the Georgia election subversion case — a memento from his brief vacation in the judicial system. It’s almost like he’s collecting more rare photos than your average influencer on a world tour.

His resurgence was made possible thanks to Elon Musk, who reinstated Trump's X account after acquiring the platform in 2022. Either way, the digital stage is set for what promises to be the showdown of the century, or at least the next few news cycles.

In typically trumpian fashion, the former president used his latest video to bemoan 'political persecution' and relied heavily on staple lines from his campaign rallies. Unlike historical claims of martyrdom, Trump's involves fewer lions and more lawsuits. Naturally, this resonates with his supporters, whose enthusiasm for him remains unshakeable, much like his grip on hyperbolic narratives.

The upcoming interview with Musk remains shrouded in mystery. Will it be an enlightening exchange of ideas, a glorified one-man show, or something entirely different? Regardless, both men's history of headline-grabbing antics ensures that it'll be anything but dull.

As anticipation builds, hashtags across the Twitterverse (excuse us, X-verse) quiver in their digital boots. Whether you tune in for the spectacle, the soundbites, or simply to see who blinks first, one thing's for sure: Mondays have never been quite this must-see.