A recent post on a Biden-affiliated TikTok account intended to highlight a controversy surrounding former President Donald Trump took a surprising turn when commenters began expressing concerns about inflation instead. The battle for influence within the social media space escalated over the weekend as Trump amassed millions of followers on an app he had previously sought to have banned.
@bidenhq [1]wow…♬ original sound – Biden-Harris HQ [2]
Joe Biden, in an effort to push back against Trump’s growing TikTok presence, shared a video on Sunday night featuring a former producer who alleged that Trump had used a racial slur during the filming of ‘The Apprentice’ Season 1. The video, posted on the BidenHQ TikTok account, aimed to portray Trump as a “lifelong racist” through a re-telling of past incidents.
However, the post quickly attracted attention for different reasons as viewers flooded the comments section with questions about the rising cost of living. Concerns over expensive rent, affordability of basic necessities, and past controversial statements made by Biden himself dominated the discourse.
They attempted to steer the narrative towards allegations against Trump, including claims by former ‘Apprentice’ contestant and Trump White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman regarding the existence of a damning tape. Despite efforts to cast Trump in a negative light, many criticized the video as a desperate attempt to sway black voters on TikTok, with accusations of spreading fabricated stories and fake news.
HAHAHA this is epic. Biden’s campaign is desperately trying to win black voters on TikTok… it’s backfiring spectacularly.
Read the replies to their latest post: pic.twitter.com/e85pKhSlGI [4]
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 3, 2024 [5]
In sharp contrast, Trump made a grand entrance into the TikTok realm on a Saturday evening [6], posting a video showcasing his attendance at a UFC fight in New Jersey. The former president’s account quickly gained over five million followers, dwarfing Biden’s following of 355 thousand on the platform.
Donald Trump vs Biden campaign live TikTok follower count 🤣
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) June 3, 2024 [8]
Trump’s strategic move to engage with a younger audience on TikTok signals a potential outreach to a demographic that could sway future elections. His entry into the platform comes amidst uncertainties surrounding the app’s future due to national security concerns and the recent legislation signed by Biden in April.
Meanwhile, Trump’s only video so far has over 80 million views. Watch:
@realdonaldtrump [9] Launching my TikTok at @UFC ♬ original sound – President Donald J Trump [10]
As the TikTok battleground intensifies between political camps, the clash between Trump and Biden on the social media frontier reflects a broader struggle for influence and control over digital platforms to shape public opinion and political narratives.