Topline
The Trump-aligned Make America Great Again super PAC joined TikTok on Wednesday, the latest political account to leverage the app’s wide appeal with younger voters, which comes amid a bipartisan push that could effectively ban it and after the former president attempted to ban it while he was in office.
Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a fist up during a rally ... [+]
Key Facts
MAGA Inc., the main super PAC supporting Trump’s campaign, joined TikTok under the @MAGA handle.
Its debut video attacks President Joe Biden’s economic policies and a subsequent post targets independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his lifelong alliance with the Democratic Party.
Trump, who has not commented on MAGA Inc. joining the app and has no account of his own, unsuccessfully attempted to ban TikTok during his time in the White House.
Trump flipped his stance when President Joe Biden endorsed a bid to force TikTok’s parent company to sell the app or face a ban, arguing it would benefit Facebook, which he has repeatedly attacked for removing right-wing misinformation claiming he was the true winner of the 2020 election.
Key Background
Biden signed legislation last month that would force TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a ban, over concerns that Beijing could use it to spy on U.S. users. The provision—which required ByteDance to sell its stake in the social media platform within a year—was included in the $95 billion foreign aid package Congress approved with bipartisan support. Courts repeatedly blocked the Trump’s attempts to ban the app, including in 2020, when a federal judge ruled his administration failed “to adequately consider an obvious and reasonable alternative.”
Tangent
Biden’s campaign joined TikTok under the @bidenhq handle in February and said it would stay on the app even after Biden signed the bill that could force a ban. “When the stakes are this high in the election, we are going to use every tool we have to reach young voters where they are,” the campaign said in a statement to Forbes about its decision to maintain its TikTok presence.
What To Watch For
TikTok filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the potential ban, arguing it was a potential violation of the First Amendment and that the timeline to arrange a sale was “simply not possible.” TikTok was widely expected to fight the legislation in court and has successfully beat back previous attempts to ban the app.
Further Reading
Biden Signs Bill Forcing TikTok Sale Or Ban—Part Of Ukraine, Israel Aid Package (Forbes)
TikTok Could Be Banned In 9 Months—Here’s What May Stop That (Forbes)
Biden Will Keep Campaigning On TikTok—Despite Signing Law That Could Ban The App (Forbes)
