On Saturday, former President Donald Trump made a notable move by joining the social media platform TikTok. In less than 24 hours, he surpassed the number of followers that President Joe Biden’s campaign had accumulated over several months.
According to The Hill, Trump’s inaugural TikTok video featured Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White at a UFC title fight in New Jersey. “The President is now on TikTok,” White announced, to which Trump added, “It’s my honor.”
The video predominantly showcased clips of Trump at the fight and quickly went viral, amassing millions of likes and views within hours. Trump’s account rapidly gained a significant following, outpacing the Biden-Harris account, which had been active since February (via The Hill):
The video garnered more than 2.3 million likes and 38 million views in less than 15 hours as of Sunday at 2 p.m. Trump’s account amassed over 2.2 million followers — more than six times the followers of the Biden-Harris HQ account.
Trump’s entrance onto TikTok came just days after he was controversially found guilty on 34 felony counts in his New York “hush money” trial. In 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, charged Trump with 34 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.
As noted by many, including Katie, Bragg’s team seemed less focused on proving the actual fraud charges and more intent on highlighting “hush money payments” and unrelated details of an alleged affair. The trial, which spanned approximately six weeks, concluded with the jury deliberating for a total of 9.5 hours over two days before reaching their verdict.
Trump’s rapid rise on TikTok underscores his enduring popularity and the strong support he continues to receive from his base, despite ongoing legal battles and relentless political attacks. His ability to connect with millions of Americans through social media platforms remains a significant factor in his political influence.
