Former President Donald Trump announced on Saturday night that he has joined TikTok, despite criticism from many in his party who call for the app’s China-based parent company to sell its shares.
Trump’s first TikTok post is a 13-second video, seemingly filmed at the UFC event in New Jersey he attended that night. UFC President Dana White introduces Trump in the video, saying, “The president is now on TikTok.” Trump replies, “It’s my honor,” as the video transitions to a montage of him greeting fans at the arena. The clip ends with Trump saying, “That was a good walk on, right?”
This action contrasts sharply with Trump’s stance a few years ago when he signed an executive order to ban TikTok in the U.S., citing national security concerns. The order was blocked by the courts.
In March, Trump changed his position, opposing a TikTok ban on the grounds that it would benefit other social media platforms like Facebook, which he has previously criticized.
However, many Republicans continue to view TikTok as a security threat, a view Trump has echoed despite his opposition to a ban.
In April, President Joe Biden signed a bill to potentially ban TikTok, allowing nine months for ByteDance to divest from the app. Biden’s campaign, however, continues to use TikTok, posting regularly since the ban would not be effective until after the election.
Trump’s TikTok debut follows the super PAC supporting him, Make America Great Again Inc., joining the platform weeks earlier.
The New York Times reported last month that TikTok has featured almost twice as many pro-Trump posts as pro-Biden posts since November, according to internal analysis from the app.
