“Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
On Jan. 18, TikTok displayed this message to its hundreds of millions of American users. For Gen-Z, the banning of TikTok, a cornerstone of entertainment and information in the digital age, felt like a nightmare. This sentiment resonated across the country; personally, every single conversation I had with a fellow Duke student on Jan. 18 centered on our sadness about the TikTok ban. Yet we kept the app on our phones and hoped that this ban would be overturned — after all, the message did not simply deliver bad news. It offered a beacon of hope via President Trump.
And just 12 hours later, on Jan. 19, TikTok resumed as normal after presenting this message to its users: “Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
Trump’s efforts consisted of a post to Truth Social, in which he stated that he would issue an executive order to delay the enforcement of the law’s restrictions, to create a new deal to ensure national security. Trump further promised that no company that helped TikTok stay live before his order would be liable, which allowed TikTok to be instantly reinstated.
Although seemingly insignificant to non-TikTok users or older demographics, the unbanning of TikTok was meaningful to most of Gen-Z. Regardless of their political stances toward Trump, most appreciated his efforts that would restore their beloved app.
It is crucial to recognize the unusual dynamics at play in this situation. The mere mention of Trump’s name on the app’s notification reflects not only an unsettling level of presidential influence over digital platforms, but a deliberate effort to garner attention and endorsement. Even more importantly, that many TikTok users responded with gratitude and support signals Trump’s talent for manipulating public perception.
Trump recognized the current dependency on social media and weaponized it to bolster public approval. His restoration of TikTok must not be seen as a simple act to help his constituents; rather, it was a strategic move to consolidate power and paint himself as the savior — a maneuver he has utilized repeatedly.
This strategy is best understood through a comprehensive look at the history leading up to the TikTok ban. On Aug. 6, 2020, during his first term in office, Trump signed an executive order to ban TikTok, deeming the app’s Chinese ownership a national security threat. For five years, no headway was made, but just two days before Trump’s inauguration, the ban was instated. Trump was the reason all of this chaos ensued, yet he used his soon-to-be presidential power to end the ban. While this seems nonsensical, it is understood through the lens of Trump’s political agenda and pattern: Trump creates a crisis, lets public panic ensue and then steps in with a solution to appear the savior.
TikTok is not the only issue where he has employed this strategy. Trump exemplified similar political maneuvers by intervening in immigration policies. The Border Act was introduced to the Senate in May 2024 of former President Biden’s term. This was a bipartisan immigration reform bill: it worked to prevent transnational human and fentanyl trafficking, streamline immigration processing, increase the number of border security personnel, and more.
Despite its claimed benefits and bipartisan nature, it was denied in a 43-50 vote, with only one GOP “yea” vote. Republican support of this bill fell apart, and in the past presidential debate, former Vice President Kamala Harris blamed Trump. Harris stated, “You know what happened to that bill? Donald Trump got on the phone, called up some folks in Congress, and said “Kill the Bill”. You know why? Because he’d prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.”
The last line rings true. One of Trump’s main policy priorities since his 2016 campaign has been immigration reform. Yet Trump actively opposed a huge bill aimed at just that. In doing this, his platform on immigration remains a problem that needs to be solved, and he offers himself up as the only solution. This is not governance and protecting constituents; this is self-serving manipulation and performance art.
Trump is a calculated shaper of narratives, skillfully placing himself as the indispensable hero America needs. Trump dictates not only the issues citizens should prioritize but also who they should credit for solving them.
TikTok may seem like a trivial lens to explore Trump’s political tactics, especially amid the broader impact of his policies — freezing federal aid, restricting gender identity to two categories, withdrawing from The Paris Agreement. However, TikTok serves as a microcosm of Trump’s philosophy and motivations, in which he inflates his importance to portray himself as the rescuer of Americans from “chaos.” This chaos, though, is often manufactured by Trump himself, a mere tool of manipulation. Trump is often deemed a “loose cannon,” but it is better to recognize him for what he really is: a masterful manipulator of public perception.
As the next four years of Trump’s administration unfold, it is essential for Americans to recognize this pattern of political opportunism by a government designed to serve and protect them.
Aria Dwoskin is a Trinity first-year. Her pieces typically run on alternate Sundays.
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