Former President Donald Trump is leaving no stone unturned as he eyes the chair of the President while the elections draw near. In what seems like an attempt to expand his reach, Donald Trump has joined TikTok — a social media platform that he was opposed to in the past.
Trump made his debut on TikTok on Saturday, just two days after a jury delivered a guilty verdict in his historic criminal trial. The former president shared his first post on the video-sharing platform on the same day. Here’s what the move might mean and how audiences are reacting to it.
Donald Trump Has Advocated For A Ban On TikTok In The Past
Donald Trump’s entry on TikTok is particularly notable as the Republican leader had previously attempted to ban the app while he was in office. His first ever post on the app is a 13-second montage clip wherein he states that joining the app is an “honor” as he attends the mixed martial arts event UFC 302.
Donald Trump amassed over 1.7 million followers on TikTok in less than 24 hours after announcing he was joining the TikTok app at UFC 302 last night.
— Cash Loren (@CashLorenShow) June 2, 2024
For comparison, Joe Biden, the most popular president in US history, has accumulated 335k followers in four months.
Trump's… pic.twitter.com/mqFzoiKb87
Interestingly, his account on the platform refers to him as “President Donald J. Trump.” While he was serving as the President of the United States, Trump issued an executive order that would effectively ban TikTok from operating in the U.S. The app, owned by Beijing tech company ByteDance Ltd., was asked to be sold to an American company within a 45-day window.
TikTok responded with an official statement expressing shock over the executive order, which they claimed was issued without due process. “We are shocked by the recent executive order, which was issued without any due process,” the statement read, as per Fox Business.
“For nearly a year, we have sought to engage with the U.S. government in good faith to provide a constructive solution to the concerns that have been expressed,” the statement continued. “The Administration paid no attention to facts, dictated terms of an agreement without going through standard legal processes, and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses.”
In case you missed it: “You Are A Traitor! You Are A C**t”: Trump Supporters Chase Down Robert De Niro Who Spoke Against Trump Outside NYC Courthouse
Ban On TikTok Has Been A Significant Issue In The US Since Donald Trump’s Tenure As President
As the legal rift continued, a federal judge blocked Trump’s attempt to ban the app. After President Joe Biden took office, his administration also initially paused Trump’s efforts against TikTok. Eventually, Biden moved forward with the legislation that aimed to ban the platform unless it quickly found new owners.
A new legislation was introduced in April 2024 as part of a $95 billion foreign aid package to support Israel and Ukraine. Under this law, ByteDance has 270 days to sell TikTok, or it will be removed from Apple and Google app stores in the U.S. The legislation was overwhelmingly approved by both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Many have noted that the given timeframe for the sale of TikTok may not be feasible for such a significant sale. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, however, has vowed to fight the legislation, telling users that the app isn’t “going anywhere.”
The potential ban has gained significance because of growing security concerns that China could use the app to surveil American citizens and access their data without their knowledge. Though China has consistently denied the accusations, Trump joining the platform opens the floodgates to a lot of possibilities amid controversies around the nature of the app.
You might also like to read:
