AOC’s TikTok Rant Goes Viral—And It’s About Trump

In a series of Instagram stories on Sunday, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) scolded TikTok for a notification the app recently sent out thanking “President Trump” for efforts to restore the app in the US.

AOC highlighted that Donald Trump is no longer president but a private citizen, which raises several questions about TikTok’s word choice and what that might mean.

TikTok’s Controversial Notification

TikTok resumed services in the U.S. on Sunday after a temporary shutdown to comply with a federal ban. When users opened the app, they were greeted with a notification that read:

“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.”

This message attributed the app’s restoration to the efforts of “President Trump,” despite his inauguration being scheduled for Monday.

AOC’s Response

AOC took to TikTok to address the notification, stating:

“First of all, Donald Trump is not president right now. He is a private citizen. He does not have access to presidential powers, he does not have the ability to do any of that.”

She further insinuated that TikTok referring to Trump as “President” shows that it is a tactical move to side with him, saying:

“They are signaling that they are collaborating privately. They have agreed to collaborate privately with Donald Trump and the Trump administration.”

@aoc

Let’s talk about the Tiktok Ban…. #tiktokban

♬ original sound – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

@aoc

More on the TikTok Ban

♬ original sound – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

@aoc

Let’s put all of the pieces together.

♬ original sound – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Concerns Over Social Media Platforms

As she expanded her critique, Ocasio-Cortez said something in regard to her concern with the greater landscape of social media platforms in the U.S., stating:

“What this effectively means is that every social media platform, mass social media platform in the United States, has been taken over by the right-wing.”

She referred to Elon Musk buying Twitter, now X, and the alleged manipulations of algorithms to push right-wing content as testimony to her apprehension over political ownership of major social media.

Trump’s Executive Order and TikTok’s Status

The controversy erupted after President-elect Donald Trump announced a delay in enforcing the federal ban on TikTok. Trump said he would sign an executive order to extend the deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to divest its U.S. operations by proposing a joint venture with 50% U.S. ownership as a way to allay national security concerns.

Notwithstanding this, key Republican lawmakers-most notably House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts-see the ban being stayed only with the actual sale of TikTok, which would be a divestiture from the Chinese owners. They say a true divestiture is necessary because of foreign influence, coupled with the possible harmful content on the platform.

Public Reaction and Future Implications

That momentary shutdown and then reinstatement of TikTok have elicited varied opinions among its users and even policymakers. According to some experts, the shutdown could have been a publicity stunt, aimed at public relations and a call to show support in droves.

As the situation develops, the interplay between social media platforms, political figures, and regulatory actions shifts further, raising questions about the influence of private companies in political discourse and the role of government in regulating digital spaces.