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By Katie Herchenroeder
Former President Donald Trump joined TikTok on Saturday night, the same app he tried to ban, unsuccessfully, through an executive order in 2020.
Convicted in a New York court last week of 34 counts of falsifying documents to conceal a secret cash payment, the presumptive Republican nominee announced his arrival on the video platform with a 13-second clip filmed at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Newark, New Jersey.
“The president is now on TikTok,” UFC president Dana White opens the video. “It’s an honor,” Trump replies before a montage that shows him reuniting and posing with enthusiasts with Kid Rock’s American Bad Ass in the background.
Less than 24 hours after it was posted, Trump’s official account has 2. 1 million followers. The video has garnered more than 36 million views, 82,000 comments, 116,000 saves, and 2. 3 million likes.
“I WITNESS HISTORY,” wrote one commenter with praying hands and crying emojis. “I’m very pleased to be able to vote for him. My first vote will be for the goat,” shared another. “Let’s make your account the maxim noted on tik tok!”commented a user whose profile picture features the logo of the Three Percent, a defense forces movement with a history of criminal activity. At least seven other people connected to the Three Percent have been charged for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. at the U. S. Capitol.
President Joe Biden introduced his TikTok crusade page, @BidenHQ, in February, which has 336. 2 thousand fans and 4. 5 million likes in total.
Trump got a warm welcome last night at the UFC event, an organization with which he has had ties for years. But at least one UFC fan, New York Jets quarterback and near-vice presidential candidate for independent price winner Aaron Rodgers, gave the impression of snubbing the former president. While many clamored to shake Trump’s hand as he passed, Rodgers remained in his seat and did not acknowledge his presence.
In April, Congress passed a bill that would force TikTok to be sold through its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or ban the app, which is home to about a third of U. S. adults, altogether. President Biden signed it the next day.
As president, Trump has attempted to get rid of the app, raising national security concerns. Prior to this crusade cycle, however, Trump made a U-turn on the issue, accusing Biden of banning TikTok and saying the president was “doing it to help his friends on Facebook become richer and more dominant. “
To mitigate the younger electorate’s reaction to Biden’s decision, his leadership has courted popular TikTok creators. During a visit to the White House earlier this year, Biden told a group of influencers, “Don’t jump, I love you!”
There are plenty of other young people on TikTok (about six in ten American adults under 30) and the two presumptive 2024 contenders know it. Controversy over a potential ban on the app has occurred midway through this election cycle.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said he would leave “no front undefended” in his efforts to win over young voters. “This represents continued success toward a youth that consumes pro-Trump and anti-Biden content. “
While most people who claim to get their news from TikTok identify as Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents, the New York Times reports that since November, there have been about twice as many pro-Trump posts as there have been pro-Biden posts. on the platform.
Trump closed his first official TikTok by leaning close to the camera and saying, “It’s a smart ride, isn’t it?
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