White House Joins TikTok as ByteDance Divestment Deadline Looms

The White House has officially launched its own TikTok account, a move that comes just weeks before the September 17 deadline for the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest the popular social media platform. The account, which debuted on Tuesday, has already garnered nearly 122,000 followers, though it remains a fraction of the more than 15 million followers on former President Donald Trump’s personal TikTok account.

Trump, who has credited TikTok with significantly boosting his 2024 presidential campaign, features prominently in the initial posts, including a video where he declares, “I am your voice.” Other content includes compilations of Trump critiquing figures such as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Maine Governor Janet Mills.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized the administration’s commitment to broad communication, stating, “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. President Trump’s message dominated TikTok during his presidential campaign, and we’re excited to build upon those successes and communicate in a way no other administration has before.”

This strategic embrace of TikTok by the White House occurs despite a law overwhelmingly passed by Congress last year, mandating ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban from U.S. app stores. President Trump has repeatedly extended the divestment deadline, with the latest extension announced in June, pushing the current deadline to September 17. Trump has also indicated that he is actively working to secure a buyer for the platform.

In response to the latest extension, TikTok issued a statement expressing gratitude: “We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses that rely on the platform as we continue to work with Vice President Vance’s Office.”

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