TikTok Users Are Calling Out Donald Trump’s Hypocrisy After the 12-Hour US Ban

On the evening of January 18, TikTok users in the U.S. found themselves in social media limbo as they got their last scrolls in before the ban set in. Opening the app, they were greeted with two cryptic messages. The first promised that TikTok was working on restoring service quickly, while the second had an eerie addendum: “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.”

Just a little over 12 hours later, TikTok was back. A new message congratulated users for their patience, saying, “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.”  

A feel-good moment orchestrated by a returning savior leader? Not quite. While some users happy to see the return of the app and some of its recent favorites like Spencer Pratt posting as soon as it was back up, many TikTok users were quick to take to Reddit with their receipts, blasting through any attempt at rewriting history. 

“Remember,” one user began. “Trump started this in 2020 with an Executive Order… He created this problem.” They weren’t exaggerating. Back in August 2020, an in-office President Trump threatened to ban TikTok outright, citing vague national security concerns. Users shared screenshots ofheadlines from that summer, with dominating declarations like, “Trump says he’s banning TikTok in the U.S.” What began as a legally questionable executive order to ban the app ended up being dismissed by the courts. 

Now, with political theater in full swing, many users see these fresh TikTok developments as little more than a self-serving act.

“The message is so dystopian,” another frustrated commenter weighed in. “He’s not even president yet, but now he’s swooping in like some savior? This feels so suspicious and makes me not even want to be on the app.” Echoes of distrust reverberated through the threads, with some drawing attention to Meta’s recent decision to eliminate fact-checking on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. “I don’t trust any of it,” another user concluded. “State-run media feels like the next step.”

Elon Musk isn’t off the hook either, with X (formerly Twitter) adding to the digital chaos. Musk’s erratic leadership at X, along with Zuckerberg’s history of fostering misinformation and propaganda — like the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal that heavily influenced the 2016 presidential election — is sparking serious concern. Many are questioning whether TikTok might shift from a platform for creativity, small businesses, and activists to organize to a tool for blatant propaganda.

While Trump might be eager to recast himself as the steward of free speech, many aren’t buying it — or all that trusting of the post-ban form of TikTok.