Trump’s rise as a TikTok sensation silences the app’s critics

Tik Tok by Kon Karampelas is licensed under Unsplash License

Now that former President Donald Trump has become a TikTok star mere weeks after joining the controversial social media app, opposition to the platform seems to have diminished. Loud China hawks have tempered their arguments that the app poses a national security risk, perhaps because they recognize that the leaders of both parties have embraced the app as a way of expressing protected speech — and maybe reach new voters along the way. Fear mongering from some of these politicians, who never demonstrated there was a credible national security threat, was based on political expediency, not fact.

TikTok, with about 150 million American monthly active users, has become a vital tool for leaders like Trump and Joe Biden to convey their messages. Young people dominate the app, with much of the content featuring singing and dancing as a form of self-expression. However, the app is also emerging as a platform for sharing political and policy messages with the American public. This type of content aligns with the free speech protected by the Bill of Rights.

Tik Tok by Kon Karampelas is licensed under Unsplash License

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