White House Debuts TikTok Account as Sept. 17 Ban Deadline Nears [Video]

The White House has officially launched a TikTok account, despite the looming deadline for the app’s Chinese parent company to divest its U.S. operations or face removal from app stores.

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The account, which debuted Tuesday, has quickly gained nearly 122,000 followers. That figure is still far smaller than the more than 15 million on Donald Trump’s personal TikTok account.

In the launch video, Trump declared, “I am your voice.” Another early post featured a montage of Trump criticizing public figures, including Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Maine Governor Janet Mills.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained the move, saying, “The Trump administration is committed to communicating the historic successes President Trump has delivered to the American people with as many audiences and platforms as possible. President Trump’s message dominated TikTok during his presidential campaign, and we’re excited to build upon those successes and communicate in a way no other administration has before.”

Congress passed legislation last year requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the platform or face a nationwide ban. Trump has extended the deadline multiple times, most recently pushing it to September 17. He has also suggested he is working to secure a buyer, which could be why the White House has chosen to create an account on the platform.

In June, TikTok responded to the extension by stating, “We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses that rely on the platform as we continue to work with Vice President Vance’s Office.”