Scoop: Trump's Cabinet members are joining TikTok

Alex Isenstadt

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Most of President Trump's Cabinet will launch TikTok accounts Tuesday, a move that comes days after the Justice Department told federal employees it was safe to use the app because of its sale to a U.S.-approved owner.

Why it matters: The move is a striking shift from Trump's first term, when his administration argued that TikTok posed a national security threat because of its ownership by China's ByteDance.

By joining the app themselves, Cabinet officials are effectively signaling that TikTok is now an acceptable venue for government messaging.

The background: The 2022 No TikTok on Government Devices Act said TikTok couldn't be used on government-issued phones.

But Trump's DOJ now says that law is no longer applicable, given the change in the company's ownership to a U.S.-controlled venture earlier year.

Zoom in: Trump's administration now views TikTok as a powerful tool for reaching young voters.

Trump himself has been on the app since 2024, and some of his posts — including one documenting his appearance at a UFC event — have gotten hundreds of millions of views.

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Scoop: Trump's Cabinet members are joining TikTok

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