Former President Donald Trump has embraced TikTok as a campaign tool, despite his previous attempts to ban the app over national security concerns during his presidency.
Trump has used TikTok to push his campaign to new hights. (Image: Getty)
Trump, who recently survived his second assassination attempt, joined TikTok in June, appearing in a video with UFC president Dana White at a match in Newark, New Jersey, following Trump being ‘too busy’ to read his wife’s new book.
“The president is now on TikTok,” White announced, to which Trump replied, “It’s my honor.”
The move marks a significant shift from Trump’s 2020 stance, when he sought to ban TikTok through executive action, citing fears of Chinese government access to American user data.
Federal courts later blocked that effort.
Donald Trump has adopted the use of TikTok to push his campaign. (Image: Getty)
Trump has since changed his position.
In a March interview with CNBC, he stated: “Without TikTok, you can make Facebook bigger, and I consider Facebook to be an enemy of the people.”
Recently the republican campaign has adopted the use of TikTokers to push the Trump campaign.
Taking to the app many videos can be viewed where content creators test the knowledge of left-wing-leaning individuals.
The former president’s TikTok debut comes as his own social media platform, Truth Social, faces challenges.
Following a New York jury’s verdict finding Trump guilty of falsifying business records, Truth Social’s stock fell 5%, with the company reporting over $300 million in losses for the first quarter.
Trump’s TikTok presence could be crucial for reaching younger voters.
Donald Trump has backed the use of TikTok while Joe Biden has opposed it’s use in the states. (Image: Getty)
Pew Research Center reports nearly a third of Americans under 30 get their news from the app.
Within 24 hours of joining, Trump amassed 2 million followers, with his first video garnering over 34 million views.
The Harris campaign also has a TikTok account, despite the administration’s concerns about the app’s security.
In April, President Biden signed legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S. unless it’s sold to a non-Chinese company within nine months.
TikTok is challenging this law in federal court, arguing it violates free speech.
The company denies any Chinese government influence or spying on U.S. citizens through the app.
