Former President Donald Trump has made a splash on TikTok, amassing over 22 million views on his debut video within hours. The presumptive Republican nominee posted his first video from the Ultimate Fighting Championship 302 event in New Jersey, swiftly gaining more than 1.1 million followers by Sunday morning.
In his initial TikTok clip, UFC President Dana White announced, “The president is now on TikTok,” to which Trump, 77, responded, “It’s my honor,” as he greeted fans. This move marks a significant shift for Trump, who as president sought to ban the Chinese-owned app due to national security concerns.
Trump’s attempted ban in 2020 was blocked by the courts, and by March 2024, he had shifted his stance, arguing that banning TikTok would only empower Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. In an April post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok ”
While President Biden signed a bipartisan divestment bill targeting TikTok, Trump criticized the move, claiming it was designed to benefit Facebook. The legislation requires TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations within nine months or face a ban.
Despite TikTok’s assurances of data protection and its operations in Singapore and Los Angeles, concerns remain due to ByteDance’s obligations to the Chinese Communist Party. The app, which boasts over 170 million U.S. users, collects vast amounts of user data, including biometric identifiers and location information.
Trump’s move to TikTok follows the platform’s burgeoning influence, especially among young voters. His son, Donald Trump Jr., also joined TikTok last week, posting about El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele’s inauguration.
This social media shift comes as Trump navigates legal challenges, including a recent conviction on 34 counts related to a hush-money case in Manhattan. Trump, maintaining his innocence, plans to appeal the ruling, with sentencing set for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention.
