Donald Trump's TikTok debut goes viral with over 22 million views

Former President Trump garners 22 million views and 1.1 million followers on TikTok within hours.

Former President Donald Trump has taken the digital world by storm, joining TikTok and rapidly gaining a massive following. 

Within just a few hours of posting his first video from the Ultimate Fighting Championship 302 event in New Jersey, Trump's account exploded with over 22 million views and 1.1 million followers by Sunday morning.

"The president is now on TikTok," announced UFC President Dana White in a brief 13-second clip that featured Trump acknowledging the honor of joining the platform. 

This significant move comes despite Trump's previous attempts to ban the Chinese-owned video-sharing app during his presidency, citing national security concerns.

The irony of Trump’s new platform choice is heightened by ongoing legislative actions. 

A bipartisan bill passed in April mandates that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, divest its US operations or face a ban. 

Trump himself had signed an executive order in 2020 to block TikTok, although it was later overturned by the courts.

In a twist, by March of this year, Trump had shifted his stance, suggesting that a ban on TikTok might unfairly benefit Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. 

He accused President Joe Biden of pushing for TikTok's closure to benefit Facebook, a claim he articulated in a post on his own platform, Truth Social.

Amidst his social media resurgence, Trump has also faced significant legal challenges. 

Last Thursday, he became the first former US  president to be convicted of a felony, found guilty on 34 counts related to a hush-money case in Manhattan. 

Trump has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and has announced plans to appeal. His sentencing is scheduled for July 11, shortly before the Republican National Convention.

@realdonaldtrump

Launching my TikTok at @UFC 302.

♬ original sound - President Donald J Trump