Former US President Donald Trump created an official TikTok account @realdonaldtrump ahead of the upcoming elections, after attempting to ban the social media platform in 2020.
Trump's first TikTok video features him interacting with fans, including UFC CEO Dana White and podcaster Joe Rogan, and includes Kid Rock's song "American Bad Ass."
In 2020, Trump signed orders requiring the Chinese company ByteDance, owner of TikTok, to divest all assets supporting the app's operation in the U.S. within 90 days, citing national security concerns. However, these orders were halted by American courts.
In 2021, President Biden rescinded Trump's orders attempting to ban TikTok in the U.S., but ByteDance is challenging a new law requiring the sale of the social media platform to a non-China-based company by January next year to avoid a potential US ban.
TikTok has over 170 million users in the U.S., nearly half the country's population, and both Biden and Trump are aiming to connect with this audience. Trump's move to join the platform is seen as an attempt to reach young voters ahead of the election.
TikTok denies any influence from the Chinese government or spying on U.S. citizens, and the company is challenging the legislation signed by Biden that aims to ban TikTok in the U.S. unless sold to a non-Chinese company.
Biden's pre-election campaign also has a TikTok account, @bidenhq, with over 330k followers as of February. The White House has met with liberal influencers to reassure them Biden isn't looking to ban TikTok.
Sources: Reuters, Time, CBS News, CNN, Le Monde, Fox News, The Hill, DW, Business Insider, NPR, Newsweek, The Washington Post, and Axios.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
