US President Donald Trump has called himself "number one" on the TikTok platform several times this week. However, it has become clear that his statement does not mean he is the user with the most followers on the platform, but rather that he is the most popular account holder among world leaders.
On July 6, during an interaction with journalists at the White House, Trump said he was in first place on TikTok. He also claimed to have left American singer Taylor Swift behind.
However, as of July 9, Trump's official TikTok page is followed by 16.7 million people. Taylor Swift, on the other hand, has over 33.5 million followers, nearly double Trump's audience.
The most popular account on the platform belongs to Senegalese and Italian blogger Khaby Lame, who is followed by 162.3 million users. In second place is American blogger Charli D'Amelio with 159.2 million followers.
"I was number one. All these artists are in positions 27 to 29. That's incredible. I don't even understand it myself, but it means my thoughts are reaching people," Trump said on July 8 during one of his speeches at the NATO summit.
A post published on July 5 on the social network Truth Social clarified the President's statement. It was reported that TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew congratulated Trump as the world leader with the most followers on the platform. White House officials also referred to this post when asked for comment on the matter.
According to CNBC analysis, Donald Trump is indeed the head of state with the most followers on TikTok. He is followed by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele with 12.9 million, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum with 9.3 million, and French President Emmanuel Macron with 7.3 million followers.
Currently, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and several leaders from the Middle East do not have official accounts on TikTok. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has 1.5 million followers on the platform.
In US domestic politics, Trump's rival in the 2024 presidential election, former Vice President Kamala Harris, has 10.1 million followers on TikTok. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden do not have official accounts on the platform.
Trump's TikTok page primarily features short video addresses from the Oval Office regarding state policy, initiatives, and decisions. Some videos also have a humorous tone. For instance, in one video posted on May 26, he jokingly explained why he calls Democrats "Dumocrats."
At the NATO summit, Trump indicated that he also uses TikTok to talk about US achievements and "how bad communism is."
For reference, Donald Trump also has a large audience on other social networks. He has 111.7 million followers on X, 44 million on Instagram, and 12.9 million on the Truth Social platform.
