Donald Trump’s engagement with TikTok exemplifies an unexpected turnaround in his approach to the platform. In his presidential term, the former president vocally pushed efforts to ban TikTok, citing the Chinese ownership as a national security threat. However, by 2024, his stance shifted dramatically as he joined TikTok, harnessing its vast reach to connect with millions of users, particularly younger voters who are predominant on the app.
Trump’s debut video on TikTok was a lively clip recorded at a UFC event in Newark, New Jersey. In this video, he interacted enthusiastically with his audience, waving to supporters and posing for selfies, concluding with a direct address to viewers. This initial foray marked the beginning of an extensive digital presence on a platform he once sought to regulate out of existence.
Further illustrating the platform’s evolving governance, in December 2025 TikTok solidified its position in the United States by entering binding agreements with a consortium of investors including Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL), Silver Lake, and MGX, an investment firm based in Abu Dhabi. This consortium formed a new U.S.-based TikTok entity, a move relevant to the app’s standing in American markets and regulatory environments.
Analyses of TikTok’s content relating to Donald Trump reveal staggering engagement figures. According to a TikTok year-in-review graphic shared by Trump on his Truth Social platform, videos bearing the hashtag #Trump have reached approximately 339 billion views cumulatively across the app. In 2025 alone, content tagged #MAGA accumulated about 201 billion views, while other #Trump-related videos contributed an additional 166 billion views. These metrics demonstrate the extensive scope of Trump's digital footprint on TikTok.
It is important to note that these viewing figures cover all user-generated content about Trump, not solely videos posted from his official TikTok account. Significant surges in viewership corresponded with major events such as his inauguration, announcements of peace deals, and other public appearances that attracted wide attention.
In terms of follower count, Trump commands a considerable presence with more than 16 million followers, ranking him among the leading political figures on the platform. Nonetheless, he remains well behind TikTok’s largest global creators. Accounts like Khaby Lame, Charli D'Amelio, MrBeast, Bella Poarch, and TikTok’s own official account each boast follower numbers ranging from roughly 92 million to over 160 million, indicating a substantial gap between Trump's following and the app's top content creators.
Overall, Trump’s evolution on TikTok from an adversary advocating for the app’s ban to a dominant user capitalizing on the platform’s mass appeal exemplifies the complexity of modern digital political communication. The scale of engagement his content achieves underscores TikTok’s role as a powerful channel for political messaging, particularly among younger demographics.