In a surprising move, former President Donald Trump has joined TikTok, the popular Chinese social media platform, as part of his campaign strategy for the upcoming presidential election.
According to 20minutes Trump’s account, launched in early June, quickly gained traction with 8.6 million followers and his first video amassing an impressive 157.2 million views.
A Shift in Social Media Strategy
Trump's preference for TikTok over American social media giants like Meta (which includes Facebook and Instagram) is notable. In a recent interview with Bloomberg,
Trump expressed his disdain for Meta’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, blaming him for his removal from Facebook and Instagram in 2021 following the Capitol insurrection.
"If you don’t have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram, and so, you know, you have [Mark] Zuckerberg," Trump remarked, indicating a clear preference for the Chinese platform.
A Geopolitical Turnaround
This embrace of TikTok marks a significant shift from Trump's previous stance. In 2020, Trump attempted to ban TikTok, citing national security concerns.
According to Alexandre Eyries, an expert in information and communication sciences at the Catholic University of the West, this change can be understood in the context of Trump's evolving political alliances.
"During his 'America First' era, a Chinese social media platform was out of the question," Eyries explains. "Today, with Xi Jinping among his main political allies, it’s no longer an issue."
