Donald Trump Makes Surprising Move by Joining TikTok
Former President Donald Trump has made a bold entrance onto the TikTok scene, a social media platform he once criticized but has now embraced. In his debut post, Trump shared a video from an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Newark, New Jersey, capturing the attention of the platform’s youthful user base.
Addressing viewers directly, Trump expressed his excitement about being on TikTok, as a montage of cheering UFC fans played in the background. The video featured UFC CEO Dana White, who welcomed the president to the app.
Despite only having one post on his verified TikTok account, Trump’s political action committee, MAGA Inc., had previously joined the platform in a bid to spread his America First agenda. The move to join TikTok signals a shift in Trump’s stance towards the platform, which boasts 170 million users in the US and is known for its rapid growth and younger demographic.
During his presidency, Trump raised concerns about TikTok’s ties to China and even attempted to ban the app through executive orders. However, he now opposes a nationwide ban, believing it would alienate young Americans and benefit competitors like Meta.
While President Joe Biden and lawmakers share Trump’s concerns about TikTok’s security risks, defenders of the app argue that there is no concrete evidence of the Chinese government accessing user data. Trump’s TikTok debut, following his recent legal troubles, has garnered over 650,000 followers and 6 million views on his launch video.
Despite the Biden administration’s support for a TikTok ban, the campaign maintains a presence on the platform. TikTok has challenged the ban legislation signed by Biden in April, with oral arguments set for September. It seems the battle over TikTok’s future is far from over. — CNN
