Donald Trump’s supporters are jazzed about the White House’s new TikTok account.
Republicans in Congress have expressed concerns about national security related to the foreign app, urging the U.S. to prohibit TikTok if it isn’t transferred to a non-Chinese proprietor.
While Trump signed an executive order during his term to tackle the urgent threat posed by TikTok, his staunchest supporters are enthusiastic about the new account launch.
The account made its debut on Tuesday night with three videos posted in quick succession, each rapidly garnering hundreds of thousands of views. By Wednesday morning, it had amassed over 110,000 followers, with the number of fans increasing continuously.
‘White House getting on TikTok is YUGE!’ Gen Z political commentator Brilyn Hollyhand wrote on X.
‘Posting behind the scenes videos, speeches, and accomplishments – that’s how we keep Gen Z for the GOP!’ he added.
An X user, known as MAGA Voice and boasting 1.2 million followers, commented, ‘President Trump just launched an official White House TikTok account featuring an incredible 30-second video. This is absolutely epic.’
According to a statement from the White House to the Daily Mail, the account aims to convey Trump’s achievements directly to the American public across ‘as many platforms as possible.’
TikTok, owned by Chinese tech conglomerate ByteDance, faces persistent threats from Congressional Republicans of a U.S. ban unless it is sold to a company without connections to the Chinese Communist Party.
President Donald Trump’s supporters are excited that the White House created a TikTok account
The new account went live Tuesday night and by Wednesday morning amassed more than a million views on the first three videos and gained more than 100,000 followers
Those threats have turned out to be empty with the president acknowledging his tariffs on Beijing might make a sale even more difficult.
He has extended the must-sell-by date several times, and it doesn’t appear a deal will happen before the current September deadline.
On January 18 this year, TikTok was removed from U.S. app stores and those with it already downloaded were met with the message: ‘Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.’
The app was back up and running in the U.S. just hours later after Trump announced he extended the deadline for ByteDance’s sale.
‘Thanks for your patience and support,’ a message on the app read for users who regained access. ‘As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!’
TikTok’s Singaporean CEO Shou Zi Chew, who attended Trump’s inauguration, posted a video praising the then-incoming president.
Many Republicans are against TikTok operating in the U.S., and warn that is causes a massive security concern because the CCP has access to users’ data.
In his August 2020 executive order, Trump even admitted that the app could be used to track federal employees, conduct espionage and facilitate censorship or disinformation.
At the time, he called the threat of Chinese-owned companies operating in the U.S. a ‘national emergency.’
Many MAGA loyalists posted to X to praise the new account despite Republicans in Congress warning the Chinese app’s operation in the U.S. poses a national security threat
A GOP youth adviser acknowledged that the account is a ‘nudge’ to Republicans on the fence about banning TikTok
The new White House TikTok account posted three videos within a few hours, which have amassed more than a million views so far. The videos include clips of Trump speaking and of the White House property and grounds
Some on X pointed to Trump now breaking with Republican lawmakers on the matter.
‘In a clear nudge to Republican members of Congress who are still on the fence, the White House has officially joined the platform that helped propel President Trump back to the White House: TIKTOK,’ wrote CJ Pearson, co-chair of the GOP’s Youth Advisory Council.
Chinese human rights advocate Yaqiu Wang posted to X: ‘American politics has become such a farce.’
‘Congress nearly unanimously passed a bill requiring the sale of TikTok over national security concerns. Yet, not only has the president illegally refused to enforce it, but now the White House itself is busy posting on TikTok,’ she expanded.
Additionally, Mario Nawfal, who posts pro-Trump content to X, wrote: ‘Trump has praised TikTok as key to energizing young voters during his 2024 win over Kamala.’
‘Intelligence agencies have long warned about the app’s Chinese ties,’ he acknowledged.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on the new account: ‘The Trump administration is committed to communicating the historic successes President Trump has delivered to the American people with as many audiences and platforms as possible.’
‘President Trump’s message dominated TikTok during his presidential campaign, and we’re excited to build upon those successes and communicate in a way no other administration has before,’ she concluded.
