The most corrupt president: TikTok influencers attack Trump at the expense of the White House.

 

Donald Trump

The most corrupt president: TikTok influencers attack Trump at the expense of the White House.

Anti- Trump influencers flocked to the White House's newly launched TikTok account to attack him, flooding the comments on videos with criticism and mockery of Trump, according to a Washington Post report.

The newspaper reported that the White House adopted a triumphant tone last month when it launched a TikTok account, seven months into Trump's second presidency, posting a short, cinematic video of Trump shaking hands and walking across the red carpet, accompanied by the caption: "America, we are back."

But behind the scenes, according to interviews with eight people familiar with the matter, the launch of the White House TikTok account sparked months of internal uncertainty about strategy, resources, and approach, with disagreements among Trump administration officials over who should lead the effort and how powerful the videos should be.

The account's launch also faced an immediate setback, with a torrent of negative responses, many from left-wing influencers, turning the comments section of each video into an anti-Trump discussion forum. The main comment on 97 of the 101 videos posted to the account since its launch was either negative or critical of Trump, and in the account's most-viewed videos, some of the most prominent responses described Trump as the most corrupt president ever or posted inappropriate AI-generated memes that blended his face with the shape of a fish.

The Washington Post said that launching the White House account on TikTok represents a challenge for the administration as it seeks to win support on the giant platform, which many Americans now follow for news and to discuss current events. The newspaper noted that the reaction was particularly notable, as it discussed the positive reception Trump's campaign received on the app ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, with experts attributing the president's team's strong use of social media to strengthening his position in the presidential race.

This comes as the White House has intervened in TikTok's affairs in another way, by helping negotiate an agreement that would see the Chinese-owned app transferred to American investors.
US and Chinese officials said Monday they had reached a "basic consensus" on an agreement that would establish a US subsidiary of the app, and Trump is scheduled to hold a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.