
The White House launches TikTok account
"America we are BACK! What's up TikTok?" read a caption on the account's first post on the popular video sharing app, a 27-second clip.
The new account, @whitehouse, went live yesterday evening with an initial video showing footage of Mr Trump as he declares: "I am your voice."
The account had about 4,500 followers an hour after posting the video.
Mr Trump's personal account on TikTok meanwhile has 110.1 million followers, though his last post was on 5 November, 2024 which was Election Day.
TikTok is owned by China-based internet company ByteDance.
A federal law requiring TikTok's sale or ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before Mr Trump's inauguration on 20 January.
But the Republican, whose 2024 election campaign relied heavily on social media and who has said he is fond of TikTok, put the ban on pause.
In mid-June Mr Trump extended a deadline for the popular video-sharing app by another 90 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned in the US.
That extension is due to expire on 17 September.
While Mr Trump had long supported a ban or divestment, he reversed his position and vowed to defend the platform - which boasts almost two billion global users - after coming to believe it helped him win young voters' support in the November election.
Mr Trump's official account on X, formerly Twitter, has 108.5 million followers - though his favored social media outlet is Truth Social, which he owns, where he has 10.6 million followers.
The official White House accounts on X and Instagram have 2.4 million and 9.3 million followers, respectively.
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With reporting from © AFP 2025 Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal