Donald Trump ridiculed as he joins TikTok despite previous efforts to ban app

WASHINGTON, DC: TikTok, which has been under criticism for its supposed links to the Chinese government, has pulled off a significant coup as Donald Trump recently joined the platform, as per Politico.

In an eye-catching debut video from his verified account, @realDonaldTrump, the former president greeted his supporters from the Saturday, June 1, UFC 302 bout. 

Donald Trump joins content creation app TikTok as campaign tries to play on all fields

Introducing Trump in the video, UFC CEO Dana White said, "The president is now on TikTok." The ex-POTUS replied, "It’s my honor," as 'American Bad Ass' by Kid Rock played in the background. 

In an attempt to attract potential voters, particularly younger ones, in the lead-up to the November election, Trump decided to join TikTok. 

This comes as TikTok faces a potential ban in the US. In April, President Joe Biden signed a bill that provided ByteDance, the app's Chinese owner, 270 days to find a non-Chinese buyer to operate in the country. 

An adviser to Trump’s campaign, granted anonymity to speak freely, said, "The campaign is playing on all fields. 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."

Biden's campaign had joined the platform in February. This indicates that both campaigns believe TikTok, which has 170 million users in the US, is a messaging tool that merits exploration despite the criticisms.

Donald Trump Jr, former President Trump's eldest child, began utilizing the app last week. He shared photos from El Salvador's president Nayib Bukele's inauguration as well as behind-the-scenes shots from the Manhattan courthouse during his father's criminal trial, in which he was found guilty on all 34 charges.

The two-to-one ratio of pro-Trump to pro-Biden content on the app makes it especially appealing to Trump's campaign, according to a TikTok executive who spoke anonymously because they were not allowed to talk in public. Puck News was the first to report on the ratio.

During his time in office, Trump tried to ban the app in the US market over national security concerns. However, his effort was ultimately blocked in the federal courts.

At the time, US District Court Judge Carl Nichols stated that while Trump had "broad" authority to declare national emergencies and prohibit business dealings with foreign entities that pose a national security risk, TikTok appeared to be exempt from such action because it's a "personal communication" service that oversees "informational materials."

Internet mocks Donald Trump as he joins TikTok despite trying to ban it

One wrote, "The man who wanted to ban it years ago... make it make sense," and another said, "The app they trynna ban???"

"Say goodbye to TikTok, they been trying to ban it, I'm sure this will push it forward," expressed a person, while someone else added, "Funny how Trump tried to ban TikTok back when he was president."

An individual joked, "In all fairness, Trump already has 2 or 3 quirky dances down, so he's pretty much ready to be a top tier star over there." Another person quipped, "He's going to promise to save TikTok to draw the young votes."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.