Former President Trump’s Super PAC, MAGA Inc, has launched a TikTok account, @MAGA, in an effort to distribute Trump campaign messaging and content supporting Trump’s 2024 election efforts. This move is seen as a way to reach millions of voters on another social media platform. Despite concerns over TikTok’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party, Trump has come out against a potential ban of the app, though he is not personally on TikTok. MAGA Inc CEO Taylor Budowich emphasized that their goal is to ensure President Trump’s America First agenda is spread across the internet and the country, and they will not cede any platform to the Democrats.
The PAC’s initial TikToks focus on highlighting the economy under President Biden and the promise of an economic “boom” if Trump is re-elected. Additionally, they have targeted individuals like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., criticizing his record and past support of Democrats like Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama. MAGA Inc is actively engaged on other platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter), using their @MAGAIncWarRoom account for opposition research and rapid responses. Meanwhile, the Biden campaign has an account on TikTok, even though the Biden White House is not permitted to use the app on government devices due to national security concerns.
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a new U.S. law mandating that the social media platform be sold to a company without ties to the Chinese Communist Party. This law, signed by Biden, forces ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. Lawmakers accuse TikTok of posing a risk to U.S. national security by collecting user data and spreading propaganda. However, TikTok argues that divesting the app is not feasible due to challenges related to the Chinese government’s demands regarding TikTok’s recommendation engine.
Despite the legal battle, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has assured users that the platform is not going anywhere and expects to prevail in the lawsuit. The platform has invested significant resources in protecting the data of American TikTok users, who number around 170 million. While the bill signed into law by Biden has raised concerns about TikTok’s future in the U.S., the Biden campaign has stated that they will continue to maintain a presence on the video sharing platform. The ongoing dispute over TikTok’s ownership and its ties to the Chinese government highlight the complex challenges faced by social media platforms operating in the current political landscape.
