Donald Trump marked his TikTok debut at a UFC event in Newark, New Jersey, amid the buzz of over 20,000 fans.
The former President, now calling himself “President Donald Trump” on his profile, shared his first post from UFC 302, capturing his entrance at the high-profile event.
The video, captioned “@realdonaldtrump Launching my TikTok at @ufc” with the tag “original sound – President Donald J Trump,” quickly amassed staggering engagement: more than 50 million views, over 109,000 comments, and 2.8 million likes.
@realdonaldtrump Launching my TikTok at @UFC 302.
♬ original sound – President Donald J Trump
Trump’s venture onto the popular social media platform comes just two days after a New York jury found him guilty of 34 counts related to falsifying business records.
Despite the legal turbulence, Donald Trump seemed unperturbed, mingling with long-time associate and UFC CEO Dana White.
The audience erupted in applause as White announced, “The president is now on TikTok,” and many onlookers gave Trump a standing ovation as he exited the arena.
Throughout the evening, Trump watched as Islam Makhachev successfully defended his title, sharing his in-the-moment experiences with the digital world.
The TikTok post also noted a swift rise in followers, with the account gaining nearly three million within 18 hours of its creation.
One enthused follower commented, “I’m so ready!! Now TikTok is gonna get fun!”
It’s a striking turn from Trump’s previous stance on the app, having once tried to ban TikTok on grounds of national security concerns.
“There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that ByteDance might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States,” Trump stated in an executive order back in August 2020.
The convergence of legal woes and social media fanfare paints a complex picture of Trump’s present moment.
His TikTok debut not only shifts attention away from his recent legal struggles but also reinvents his public persona in a landscape he once deemed hazardous.