Former President Donald Trump has joined TikTok and quickly gained significant traction. Within hours of posting his debut video from the Ultimate Fighting Championship 302 in New Jersey, Trump racked up over 22 million views and amassed more than 1.1 million followers by Sunday morning.
In a 13-second clip, UFC President Dana White announced, “The president is now on TikTok,” to which Trump, 77, responded, “It’s my honor.” This move comes despite Trump’s previous attempts to ban the Chinese-owned video-sharing app during his presidency, citing national security concerns. The ban was blocked by the courts, and by March 2023, Trump had shifted his stance, arguing that banning TikTok would benefit Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
In April, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, blaming President Joe Biden for pushing the ban to help Facebook. Trump’s TikTok debut marks a significant shift in his social media strategy, as he had primarily used his own platform, Truth Social, after being banned from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter following the January 6 Capitol riot.
Trump’s return to mainstream social media platforms has been closely watched. His son, Donald Trump Jr., also recently joined TikTok. Meanwhile, President Biden, who signed a bipartisan bill targeting TikTok, continues to use the platform to engage with young voters.
The controversy surrounding TikTok persists, with concerns over its data privacy practices and ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Despite the app’s claims of protecting user data, its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, remains under scrutiny. The U.S. government has pushed for ByteDance to divest its American operations or face a potential ban, reflecting ongoing tensions over data security and foreign influence.
