Donald Trump has joined TikTok, the popular video-sharing app he once sought to ban during his presidency. He posted a video from a UFC fight just two days after becoming the first former president and presumptive major party nominee in US history to be found guilty on felony charges. 

In the TikTok video, Trump says, “It’s an honour,” while showing clips of himself waving to fans and taking selfies at the UFC event in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday night. The video concludes with Trump asking the camera, “That was a good walk-on, right?” Trump had gained over 1.1 million followers on the platform, and the post had received more than 1 million likes and 24 million views. 

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung stated that the campaign's decision to join TikTok reflects their strategy to defend on all fronts and continue reaching out to a younger audience that consumes pro-Trump and anti-Biden content. "We will leave no front undefended," Cheung said. "There’s no place better than a UFC event to launch President Trump’s TikTok, where he received a hero’s welcome and thousands of fans cheered him on," added Trump spokesman Steven Cheung. Despite Democratic President Joe Biden signing legislation in April that could potentially ban TikTok in the US, his campaign joined the platform in February and has been trying to collaborate with influencers. 

At the fight at Newark’s Prudential Center, Trump was enthusiastically welcomed by the crowd, who chanted "We love Trump!" and directed an expletive-laden chant at Biden. It was Trump’s first public appearance since a New York jury found him guilty on 30th May of 34 charges of falsifying business records. These charges were related to a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election by covering up hush money payments made to a porn actor who claimed to have had sex with Trump. 

Trump has asserted his innocence and intends to appeal the verdict. His sentencing is scheduled for July 11. Throughout his campaign, Trump has utilised appearances at UFC fights to project an image of strength and to appeal to potential voters who might not closely follow politics or engage with traditional news sources. 

This strategy is part of a broader effort to connect with young people and minority voters, particularly Latino and Black men. TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, offers another opportunity to reach these potential voters. The platform has about 170 million users in the US, most of whom are younger—a demographic that is particularly challenging for campaigns to reach because they tend to avoid television. 

As president, Trump attempted to ban TikTok through an executive order, citing the spread of mobile applications developed and owned by Chinese companies as a national security threat. However, the courts blocked this action after TikTok sued. Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, could potentially share user data, including browsing history, location, and biometric identifiers, with the Chinese government. TikTok has stated that it has never shared such data and would not comply if asked to do so. 

The platform was a hot topic during the 2024 GOP primary campaign, with most candidates avoiding its use. Many, including former Vice President Mike Pence, called for TikTok to be banned in the US due to its connections with China.  Trump stated earlier this year that he still believes TikTok poses a national security risk but opposes banning it because doing so would benefit its rival, Facebook, which he continues to criticise over his 2020 election loss to Biden. “Frankly, there are a lot of people on TikTok that love it. There are a lot of young kids on TikTok who will go crazy without it,” Trump told CNBC. 

The legislation signed by Biden requires ByteDance to sell the company within nine months, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress. If ByteDance fails to do so, TikTok will be banned. Additionally, Biden barred the app from most government devices in December 2022. 

Despite the controversy, Trump's re-election campaign uses TikTok, joining the app on the night of the Super Bowl in February. Aides argue that in today's fragmented media landscape, it's crucial to reach voters through as many platforms as possible, including TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Biden’s "bidenhq" account has over 330,000 followers and 4.5 million likes. Trump's UFC appearance on Saturday followed an interview with Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” that aired on Sunday. In the interview, Trump said he was "OK" with the possibility of jail time or house arrest, stating it was "the way it is." 

However, he suggested that the public might not accept such a punishment for a former president now running to return to the White House. “I don’t know that the public would stand it, you know. I’m not sure the public would stand for it,” he said. “I think it would be tough for the public to take. You know, at a certain point there’s a breaking point.” Throughout the trial, Trump has maintained his innocence, asserting that he “did absolutely nothing wrong.” 

Image Source: Toronto