Donald Trump joins TikTok after seeking to ban video app as president
CNN
Former President Donald Trump has joined TikTok, the fast-growing social media platform with ties to China that Trump had railed against as president.
Former President Donald Trump has joined TikTok, the fast-growing social media platform with ties to China that Trump has publicly embraced even though he railed against it as president. In his first post on the social network, which is filled with young potential voters, Trump posted a video after he attended an Ultimate Fighting Championship match in Newark, New Jersey, earlier in the evening. UFC CEO Dana White is featured in the video. Trump addressed viewers directly, saying it was an “honor” to be on the app. His message was followed by a montage of cheering UFC fans. “The president is now on TikTok,” White said at the start of the video. Trump’s account, which carries a verified badge, currently contains just that single post. His super PAC, MAGA Inc., previously joined the platform in May. The PAC’s CEO, Taylor Budowich, posted on X at the time, “MAGA INC will not cede any platform to Joe Biden and the Democrats who are trying to destroy our country. We will ensure President Trump’s America First agenda is brought to every corner of the internet and every precinct of this country.” The move to join TikTok underscores Trump’s recent about-face on the platform that’s popular with 170 million people in the United States. It remains smaller than competitors like Instagram and Facebook, but TikTok is faster-growing and trends younger.
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