White House Joins TikTok: A Bold Move After Trump’s 2020 Ban Threat

The White House recently jumped into the TikTok scene by launching an official account. The move comes as Donald Trump allows the app to keep operating in the U.S., even with a law on the books that insists on its sale for safety reasons.

The first post on the new account was energetic, saying, “America we are BACK! What’s up TikTok?” It quickly gained around 4,500 followers. For comparison, Trump’s personal TikTok account has 110.1 million followers, though he hasn’t posted since election day in November 2024.

Trump has shown a clear affection for TikTok. He believes it helped him connect with younger voters, a key demographic that contributed to his victory over Kamala Harris. According to a recent survey, 62% of TikTok users are between the ages of 16 and 24, making it a valuable platform for political outreach.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, emphasized the importance of using various platforms to share the successes of Trump’s presidency.

Federal law initially set to take effect just before Trump’s inauguration required TikTok either to find a new owner or face a ban due to national security concerns. However, Trump delayed this decision. TikTok currently boasts around 170 million users in the U.S., underscoring its massive impact. The app’s parent company, ByteDance, has been in talks with the U.S. government about a potential solution, which remains subject to Chinese laws.

In the past, Trump favored banning TikTok, citing national security risks. This issue gained bipartisan support in Congress, which voted overwhelmingly for a ban last year, although this faced legal challenges.

Interestingly, Trump’s relationship with TikTok shifted when he joined the platform during his 2024 campaign, amassing almost 15 million followers. This year, he even hosted TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

While Trump’s previous stance leaned towards banning the app, he reversed course, seeing it as an asset in winning younger voters. His official account on X, previously known as Twitter, has 108.5 million followers, but he prefers Truth Social, where he has 10.6 million followers.

The official White House accounts on X and Instagram have 2.4 million and 9.3 million followers, respectively. As more Americans turn to social media for news and updates, platforms like TikTok play an increasingly important role in shaping political narratives and voter engagement.

For more on the discussions surrounding TikTok and its implications, you can check out this report on economic concerns related to national security and social media.

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