Advertisement
United States
WorldUnited States & Canada

Trump White House debuts TikTok account ahead of possible ban: ‘I am your voice’

The White House’s app debut seeks to engage youth and address ban fears before impending deadlines to find a new US owner

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
1
A TikTok logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen in front of The White House. On Tuesday, the White House launched an account on the app before deadline to find a new owner or face a US ban. 
 Photo: Getty Images
Reutersanddpa
The White House launched an official TikTok account on Tuesday, taking advantage of the short video app’s more than 170 million US users to spread the messages of President Donald Trump.
Trump has a soft spot for the popular app, crediting it with helping him gain support among young voters when he defeated Democrat Kamala Harris in the November 2024 presidential election.
The White House’s official account comes as a new deadline approaches for its parent company ByteDance to divest from its US operations or face a nationwide blackout in the country.
Advertisement
TikTok’s algorithm, which decides which videos users see next, is a key point of contention. Critics warn that the Chinese government could use the algorithm to influence public opinion in the US, which TikTok and ByteDance have always denied.

Trump has been working on a deal for US investors to buy the app from ByteDance.

US President Donald Trump speaks to journalists about TikTok. Photo: TNS
US President Donald Trump speaks to journalists about TikTok. Photo: TNS

The new account, @whitehouse, went live on Tuesday evening with an initial video showing footage of Trump as he declared: “I am your voice.”

Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x