Banned but... Trump Gains 3 Million Followers on TikTok Just One Day After Joining

First Video Reaches 1.5 Million Likes in 10 Hours
Foreign Media: "A Strategy to Engage Young Voters"

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gained 3 million followers on TikTok in about a day after opening his account, major foreign media reported on the 2nd (local time).

Trump opened his TikTok account the day before and posted his first video. The 13-second short clip shows Trump greeting at a UFC event held in Newark, New Jersey. The post received 1.5 million likes within 10 hours of being uploaded.

Former President Donald Trump [Image source=Yonhap News]

This performance surpasses that of President Joe Biden, who opened his TikTok account early in February. As of this date, Biden’s campaign TikTok account has about 340,000 followers.

Trump’s team stated, "We will use every means to communicate directly with the American people."

Foreign media interpreted Trump’s TikTok account launch as a strategy to reach younger voters.

Trump was initially negative toward TikTok but recently changed his stance. During his 2020 presidency, Trump issued executive orders banning TikTok, WeChat, and transactions with Chinese apps, citing national security threats from Chinese IT companies. However, courts blocked these orders, so the bans were never enforced.

However, in March, Trump opposed TikTok regulation bills and shifted his position. While he still views TikTok as a national security threat, he argued that banning TikTok would harm younger generations and only benefit Meta (formerly Facebook). Trump’s Facebook account was suspended in 2021 for spreading false information during the January 6 Capitol riot but was later restored. Since then, he has continued to criticize Meta.

Meanwhile, the Biden campaign also signed the TikTok forced sale bill but continues to use the TikTok account. Although the forced sale bill was passed due to security concerns, it appears they believe using TikTok separately helps their election campaign.