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Trump Falsely Claims 'Number One' TikTok Status, Exaggerating Follower Count
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Trump Falsely Claims 'Number One' TikTok Status, Exaggerating Follower Count

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Former U.S. President Donald Trump falsely claimed to be the top influencer on TikTok.
  • Trump shared a congratulatory message from TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, stating he had the most followers among world leaders.
  • Data shows Trump's follower count is significantly lower than global pop star Taylor Swift's, contradicting his claims.

Donald Trump has once again made unsubstantiated claims, this time asserting his dominance on the global short-form video platform TikTok. The former president boasted on his Truth Social platform, "TikTok number one!" accompanied by an image of a congratulatory message from TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. Chew's message purportedly stated that Trump has the most TikTok followers among world leaders.

Trump further embellished his claim by stating he had surpassed global pop star Taylor Swift in TikTok followers. However, these assertions are demonstrably false. As of the previous day, Trump's TikTok follower count stood at 16.7 million. In stark contrast, Taylor Swift boasts over 33.5 million followers, more than double Trump's number.

TikTok number one!

— Donald TrumpPosted on his Truth Social platform.

The article points out that Trump's claims are not only inaccurate regarding Swift but also in the broader context of TikTok's most followed accounts. The platform's data reveals a significant gap between Trump's follower numbers and those of top influencers, undermining his self-proclaimed status as the platform's number one figure.

Do you know who has the overwhelming number one on TikTok? Trump, that's right,

— Donald TrumpTold reporters at the White House on July 6.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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