Trump social-media stock 'DJT' soars as former president says he won't sell when lockup period ends.

'I have absolutely no intention of selling,' former president says.

Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. $(DJT)$ jumped Friday after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said he didn't plan to sell his stake in the company when a lockup period ends later this month.

"No, I'm not selling. No, I love it. I mean, I use it as a method of getting out my word," Trump told reporters when asked whether he'd hold on to his stake in the parent company of his Truth Social platform.

The stock, which trades under the ticker DJT, was trading 18% higher for Friday's session, but it remains well below its 52-week closing high, which was hit in March.

"The reason it's down is that a lot of people think I'm going to sell, and if I sell, it wouldn't be the same. I can understand that, but I have absolutely no intention of selling," Trump said.

The lockup period is set to end on Sept. 25, according to a regulatory filing.

Trump Media & Technology had been on track for a big weekly drop until the former president's comments, which were made during a wide-ranging news conference at his golf club in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.

The stock's decline earlier this week came as financial markets moved in a way consistent with a reduced likelihood of a second Trump presidency following his debate Tuesday night with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

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Trump pushed back when questioned about his performance at the debate during Friday's news conference.

"We've gotten great praise for the debate," he told reporters.

The Harris campaign criticized Trump over his news conference, saying in a statement that it was a "rambling, defensive, often incoherent event to promote his golf course."

Tomi Kilgore contributed.