Trump joins TikTok, outpaces Biden campaign for followers in hours

Trump appeared in his inaugural TikTok as he attended a UFC title bout in Newark, N.J.

• The video begins with Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White announcing at Trump's side: "The president is now on TikTok."

By the numbers: Trump's video had racked up 2.2 million likes and over 38 million views as of 1:15 ET Sunday.

• Trump's account has gained 2.1 million followers since last night's launch. That's more than six times the followers of the Biden campaign's account, which launched in February.

What they're saying: "We will leave no front undefended ... [T]his represents the continued outreach to a younger audience consuming pro-Trump and anti-Biden content," Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said.

• "There's no place better than a UFC event to launch President Trump's TikTok ... [H]e received a hero's welcome and thousands of fans cheered him on."

Worth noting: "An internal analysis found nearly twice as many pro-Trump posts as pro-Biden ones on TikTok since November, a sign of the right's use of a liberal-friendly platform," the N.Y. Times reports.

Between the lines: Trump, who tried to ban the app while in office, has been trying to appeal to young voters by attacking Biden for recently signing a bill requiring TikTok to divest from its parent company ByteDance.

• Trump's son, Don Jr., has been using the app. The pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. also joined.

Behind the scenes: The White House has met with liberal influencers to reassure them Biden isn't looking to ban the app.

• Some Biden aides think the campaign should have joined TikTok earlier and been more aggressive. But there's wariness over national security.

Go deeper: TikTok's reputation takes a hit as U.S. tries to force a sale