Donald Trump joins TikTok, which he tried to ban as president, in bid to reach younger voters
- Joe Biden’s election campaign is already on TikTok, but Biden has signed a bill that would ban the popular app if its Chinese owner ByteDance fails to divest it
- Trump tried to ban TikTok in 2020 saying it was a national security threat. This year he also said that a ban would hurt some young people, and strengthen Facebook
Despite having tried to ban TikTok on national security grounds during his time as US president, Donald Trump joined the short video social media platform on Sunday, attracting a million followers within hours.
The decision to join the platform will help the former president reach younger voters in his third bid for the White House. He is in a close race with Democratic incumbent Joe Biden ahead of the November 5 presidential election.
Biden’s election campaign is already on TikTok, although Biden has signed a bill that would ban the app, which is used by 170 million Americans, if its Chinese owner ByteDance fails to divest it.
Trump posted a launch video on his account on Saturday night. It showed Trump greeting fans at an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight in Newark, New Jersey.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
ByteDance is challenging in courts the law that requires it to sell TikTok by next January or face a ban. The White House says it wants to see Chinese-based ownership ended on national security grounds.
