Just a day after joining TikTok, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has already attracted 3 million followers on the social media platform he previously tried to ban on national security grounds.
This move could help Trump connect with younger voters as he campaigns for his third bid for the White House, where he is in a close race with Democratic incumbent Joe Biden ahead of the November 5 presidential election.
Trump launched his TikTok account, @realdonaldtrump, on Saturday night with a video showing him greeting fans at an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight in Newark, New Jersey. The video has garnered over 56 million views. Trump stated he would “use every tool available to speak directly with the American people.”
Trump’s decision to join TikTok is notable given his previous attempts to ban the platform during his presidency. In 2020, his administration cited national security concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership by ByteDance, but the ban was blocked by the courts. In March, Trump reiterated that the platform posed a national security threat but also acknowledged that banning it could hurt young people and benefit Meta Platforms’ Facebook, which he has criticized.
Biden’s campaign is also active on TikTok, with over 340,000 followers. Despite this, Biden signed a bill that could ban the app if ByteDance fails to divest it. TikTok, which is used by 170 million Americans, is challenging this law, which requires it to sell by January or face a ban. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has scheduled oral arguments for September to address these legal challenges.
The White House argues that ending Chinese-based ownership of TikTok is necessary for national security. TikTok counters that it will not share U.S. user data with the Chinese government and has taken significant steps to protect user privacy.
Trump’s move to join TikTok adds to his significant social media presence, which includes over 87 million followers on X and more than 7 million on his platform, Truth Social.
As the presidential race intensifies, Trump’s engagement on TikTok highlights the evolving use of social media in political campaigns, where platforms can play a crucial role in reaching and influencing voters.
