In today’s digital age, social media platforms serve as battlegrounds for ideas, information, and cultural exchange. TikTok ban It must be approached with care and a deep understanding of its implications.
With over 170 million users in the United States, TikTok has gone beyond mere entertainment to become an important tool for communication, creativity, and, especially in the 2024 presidential election, political engagement. President-elect Donald Trump’s strategic adoption of a platform known for its cultural influence on young people helped seal his victory. (Related: J.D. Foster: Steps Trump can take to drive NATO free riders out of America)
Recognizing TikTok’s huge popularity among Gen Z and Millennials, the Trump campaign took a bold step: Platform integration Built into a vast social media strategy. This is more than just posting content. It was about understanding and participating in the cultural zeitgeist that TikTok represents.
TikTok was more than just a tool, it was also a place where millions of young voters could directly access and shape political narratives in real time.
Trump’s first video posted on TikTok received a surprising response. 63 million views Within a few days, it was very different from traditional campaign advertising. Instead, it featured candid videos of him interacting with fans at UFC events, and the honesty resonated strongly with viewers on the platform. From the beginning, no other candidate came close to his status as the most viral, charismatic and persuasive candidate in the field. All these qualities make his messaging style perfect for a platform like TikTok.
As a result, Trump won a larger percentage of voters. Under 30 years old His account ended the year with 23 million followers and more than 2.8 billion views, more than any Republican presidential candidate in recent decades.
This election cycle, TikTok viewers are drawing parallels to the “forgotten men and women” who famously influenced Trump in the 2016 election. That is, a group of hard-working men and women who value pragmatism and charisma who will see right through Vice President Kamala Harris. “”brat summerAs a movement, Trump has been led to believe that TikTok is a liberal platform dominated by trends that disparage conservatives, but Trump has proven that wrong, racking up tens of billions of views. According to data released by TikTok, Trump’s popularity has further increased. More than Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Kamala Harris combined.
Given these results, it’s hard to believe that the Harris campaign was so focused on “turning the page” that it turned up its nose at President Trump’s organically viral and relatable content. Harris instead chose to allow the cadet force to run. account Direct interaction with candidates was lacking in favor of trendy, over-the-top, and ultimately inauthentic marketing. By embracing TikTok, the Trump campaign has built its entire strategy around the Harris campaign by giving its followers a chance to see the real Donald Trump and find a community of other supporters in the process. It turned gaslighting on its head.
The left wins when it makes conservatives feel alone, but Harris’s disingenuous efforts were drowned out by the ease with which President Trump’s content was shared across all platforms and the sheer pro-Trump trends.
President Trump’s promise isSave TikTok” during the campaign, positioning him as a candidate who values free speech and the marketplace of ideas, and the resonance of that message signals a clear shift in our country’s values - we’re done with the woke nonsense. It’s over, self-censorship is over, and we’re turning the page on decades of Big Tech and big government interference in social media.
Lawmakers are pushing for a complete and sweeping package, as Republicans have discovered a treasure trove of potential lifelong supporters in the platform. TikTok ban You should think carefully about your stance.
There needs to be a substantive dialogue here, and rejecting any platform entirely is a disservice to those who believe in free speech for all Americans.
For the first time in my life, the Republican Party met voters at the nexus of politics and culture in a way that made it “cool” to be a Republican again. Policymakers must now choose whether to consign this moment to history or bring millions of young voters into the conservative political home they have been searching for.
Kaylan Doerr served as chief marketing officer for President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. Prior to that, he served as a staff member in the U.S. Treasury and White House in the Trump administration. He also participated in Trump’s 2016 campaign.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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