Despite trying to ban it, Trump just joined TikTok

Oh good.
By Christianna Silva  on 
The TikTok logo is displayed in the app store in this arranged photograph in view of a video feed of U.S. President Donald Trump in London, U.K., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2020. TikTok has become a flash point among rising U.S.-China tensions in recent months as U.S. politicians raised concerns that parent company ByteDance Ltd. could be compelled to hand over American users data to Beijing or use the app to influence the 165 million Americans, and more than 2 billion users globally, who have downloaded it.
Trump is on TikTok Credit: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump is now on TikTok, a move he announced it in an unsurprisingly weird way.

In a video posted onto TikTok on Saturday from the verified account @realDonaldTrump, UFC CEO Dana White introduced Trump, saying "The president is now on TikTok."

"It’s my honor," Trump said, which is pretty odd considering the politician and convicted felon tried to ban the app while he was in office. The rest of the video pans across different shots of the crowd at the UFC fight in Newark, New Jersey to the tune of "American Bad Ass" by Kid Rock.

Mashable Top Stories
Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.
Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!

"The campaign is playing on all fields," an adviser to Trump’s campaign told Politico. "Being able to do outreach on multiple platforms and outlets is important and this is just one of many ways we’re going to reach out to voters. TikTok skews towards a younger audience."

Both presidential candidates — Trump and President Joe Biden — have attempted to ban the app. In April, Biden signed a bill into law that could effectively ban TikTok in the U.S. unless ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, sells its shares in the app. When Trump was in office, he issued an executive order to stop new users from downloading TikTok, but courts blocked his attempts.

Despite this, both Biden and Trump's campaigns are on the app themselves.

Topics Politics

Mashable Image
Christianna Silva
Senior Culture Reporter

Christianna Silva is a Senior Culture Reporter at Mashable. They write about tech and digital culture, with a focus on Facebook and Instagram. Before joining Mashable, they worked as an editor at NPR and MTV News, a reporter at Teen Vogue and VICE News, and as a stablehand at a mini-horse farm. You can follow them on Twitter @christianna_j.


Recommended For You

HP OmniBook X review: This Copilot+ PC has MacBook-destroying battery life
HP OmniBook X on a table



TikTok says U.S. ban violates the First Amendment right to free speech
American flag displayed on a laptop screen and TikTok logo displayed on a phone screen.

More in Life
How to make the most of the Olympics on Peacock
A phone, a tablet, a TV, and a laptop showing the Peacock Olympics home screen.

How to watch Chicago Sky vs. New York Liberty online for free
Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky

How to watch Rybakina vs. Krejcikova in Wimbledon 2024 online for free
Rybakina hits the ball

How to watch Vekic vs. Paolini in Wimbledon 2024 online for free
Paolini celebrates a win

How to watch De Minaur vs. Djokovic in Wimbledon 2024 online for free
Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for July 11
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

'Wordle' today: Here's the answer hints for July 11
a phone displaying Wordle


Webb telescope may have just revealed an alien world with air
A super-Earth orbiting a red dwarf star

'The Acolyte' keeps referencing 'The Last Jedi' β€” here's why
The Stranger on the unknown planet.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!