U.S. Presidency establishes TikTok presence amidst platform's uncertain standing in American law
Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, has relaunched an official White House TikTok account, marking a significant shift in his stance towards the popular social media app. Despite initial efforts and national security concerns about TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance, Trump has repeatedly extended the deadline for TikTok’s required sale or ban in the U.S., with the next extension expected around mid-September 2025.
The U.S. government, including Congress, passed a bipartisan law in 2024 mandating TikTok to divest its U.S. operations or be banned, citing risks of data theft and potential manipulation by China. However, Trump, now president again, has softened his stance, calling these national security fears "highly overrated" and embracing the platform as useful for political outreach, especially to young voters.
As of mid-September 2025, Trump's TikTok account has 108.5 million followers on his official account, 110.1 million on his personal account, and 10.6 million on Truth Social, his favored social media outlet. His first post on TikTok was a 27-second clip, and he has been actively using the app, posting videos and rally highlights.
The extension for TikTok, initially put in place by Trump, is due to expire in mid-September. The primary legal delay relates to the need for Chinese government approval of such a sale, which has so far not occurred. The extension has been met with decreased support for banning TikTok amid recognition of its large user base (170 million U.S. users) and significant economic impact on American small businesses and jobs.
Sources:
- CNN
- The New York Times
- The Washington Post
- TechCrunch
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