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White House launches official TikTok account after Trump vowed ban in 2020
The Guardian ^ | Tue 19 Aug 2025

Posted on 08/19/2025 6:46:01 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

The White House launched an official TikTok account on Tuesday, as Donald Trump continues to permit the Chinese-owned platform to operate in the US despite a law requiring its sale.

“America we are BACK! What’s up TikTok?” read a caption on the account’s first post, a 27-second clip, on the popular video-sharing app.

The account had about 4,500 followers an hour after posting the video. Trump’s personal account on TikTok meanwhile has 110.1 million followers, though his last post was on 5 November 2024 – election day.

Trump has a soft spot for the popular app, crediting it with helping him gain support among young voters when he defeated Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, in the November 2024 presidential election.

“The Trump administration is committed to communicating the historic successes President Trump has delivered to the American people with as many audiences and platforms as possible,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said as the account went live.

A federal law requiring TikTok’s sale or a ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before Trump’s inauguration on 20 January.

But the Republican president, whose 2024 election campaign relied heavily on social media and who has said he is fond of TikTok, put the ban on pause.

TikTok is a tremendously popular social media app with 170 million users in the US. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, said in April that it had been in discussion with the US government regarding a solution for the app. It added that any agreement “will be subject to approval under Chinese law”.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
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1 posted on 08/19/2025 6:46:01 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

Tik Tok is an abomination, and anything Trump-adjacent should stay far away. Chinese spies.


2 posted on 08/19/2025 6:52:38 PM PDT by Kleon
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To: Kleon
Tik Tok is an abomination

Do you know why TikTok became so popular in the United States? Unlike Apple, Google, and Facebook, it is out of reach of Washington's censors.

3 posted on 08/19/2025 6:55:50 PM PDT by Right_Wing_Madman
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To: MinorityRepublican

We currently have a ban that Congress passed and a potus signed. Trump is ignoring current law, if that matters anymore.


4 posted on 08/19/2025 6:56:31 PM PDT by Theoria
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To: Kleon
Tik Tok is an abomination, and anything Trump-adjacent should stay far away. Chinese spies.


5 posted on 08/19/2025 6:58:18 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

That’s possibly a signal that they cut a deal to keep it going here with some type of partial US ownership.


6 posted on 08/19/2025 7:05:21 PM PDT by aynrandfreak (Being a Democrat means never having to say you're sorry)
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To: Right_Wing_Madman

Tik Tok is an abomination

“Do you know why TikTok became so popular in the United States? Unlike Apple, Google, and Facebook, it is out of reach of Washington’s censors.”

Yep, TikTok is about the freest Free Speech platform out there. That is also why TikTok has more than its fair share of silly, weird, just wrong, and purulent, near pornographic material on it. It sort of goes with the Free Speech territory. That said, it is, in my opinion, also a big reason that Trump won re-election.


7 posted on 08/19/2025 7:24:03 PM PDT by Fai Mao (I used to care, but things have changed ~ Bob Dylan)
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To: MinorityRepublican

The Guardian is run by deluded leftist children. Nothing from them has any value.


8 posted on 08/19/2025 7:39:34 PM PDT by iamgalt
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To: MinorityRepublican

Hahaha, TikTok

Trump: “I am your voice”

Bow down beotches


9 posted on 08/19/2025 7:46:35 PM PDT by baclava
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To: iamgalt

Yep. They are just trying to illustrate hypocrisy, which is the “cardinal sin” of Leftists, even though they are the grand masters.

I don’t care. We are $37 Trillion in Debt. Crime is out of control. Illegal Aliens saturate this country. Our military needs rebuilding. We have to stay out of Ukraine. We have to punish the weaponization of the government and intrusions on our personal freedoms.

Those are things I care about. Trump is trying to address those things. If he bans Tik Tok, fine. But I am not losing any sleep over it or surrendering a nano-smidgen of support or respect for Trump if he doesn’t ban Tik Tok.


10 posted on 08/19/2025 8:33:34 PM PDT by rlmorel (Factio Communistica Sinensis Delenda Est.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

FTA-—Tik Tok has 170 million users in the US. Is now
in discussion with the US govt.....“subject to approval under Chinese law”.


11 posted on 08/19/2025 9:44:50 PM PDT by Liz (May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead (Irish blessing))
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To: Fai Mao; Right_Wing_Madman

That’s crazy talk. TikTok aggressively moderates, deletes videos, shadow bans, and removes accounts.

https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines/en

What does this sound like to you:

“it is natural for people to have different opinions, but we seek to operate on a shared set of facts and reality. We do not allow misinformation that may cause significant harm to individuals or society, regardless of intent. We rely on independent fact-checking partners, guidance from public health authorities, and our database of previously fact-checked claims to help assess the accuracy of content.”

TikTok is not a free speech platform at all.


12 posted on 08/19/2025 9:48:15 PM PDT by Wayne07
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To: Liz

The last time I checked, the Chinese did not censor Trump on social media.


13 posted on 08/19/2025 9:49:45 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: Wayne07
What does this sound like to you:

I don't care what the official community guidelines say. It is the actual user experience that makes all the difference. You don't remember how badly Twitter sucked before Elon Musk purchased it? Americans, especially young people, were looking for an alternative and they flocked to TikTok.

14 posted on 08/19/2025 10:42:29 PM PDT by Right_Wing_Madman
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To: MinorityRepublican

Hope they only use it on a burner phone or a segregated VM.


15 posted on 08/20/2025 4:35:05 AM PDT by pas
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To: Theoria

“We currently have a ban that Congress passed and a potus signed. Trump is ignoring current law, if that matters anymore.”

I think there’s still a month before the ban is supposed to take effect - what’s wrong with using what’s out there in the interim? Besides, are we even sure Biden actually signed it?

Your panties seem to be wadding up.


16 posted on 08/20/2025 5:39:51 AM PDT by trebb (So many fools - so little time...)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Tik tok is in play because Barron says it is, I think.


17 posted on 08/20/2025 7:24:21 AM PDT by Rappini ("In hoc Signo Vinces" In this sign, you shall conquer.)
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To: Kleon

Tik Tok = Tracker

Bad guy finder open for business.


18 posted on 08/20/2025 8:03:16 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: Right_Wing_Madman

Twitter was terrible before Musk, Tik Tok has always been. terrible, and is getting worse.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/tiktok-bans-misgendering-deadnaming-trans-people-rcna15386


19 posted on 08/20/2025 10:39:36 AM PDT by Wayne07
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To: trebb
The law was passed in 2024, and took effect in Jan 2025. The law allowed a potus a one time extension. Trump has issued 2 extensions so far, and will probably do more. All of which go beyond the rule of law.
20 posted on 08/20/2025 6:27:07 PM PDT by Theoria
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