United States (US) President Donald Trump has sparked fresh controversy after asserting his dominance on TikTok, claiming to be the most influential figure on the platform while suggesting that global pop star Taylor Swift ranks significantly lower.
During a White House press briefing on Monday, Trump addressed his platform presence, telling reporters, “It was announced about two days ago. The new numbers just came out. You know who the number one person in TikTok is by far? Trump, me. I’m number one. Taylor Swift was number 11. I’m number one on TikTok by far.”
Despite the president’s bold declaration, publicly available data from the platform contradicts his narrative.
As of July 7, statistics indicate that Trump’s official account holds approximately 16.6 million followers with roughly 121.8 million likes. In comparison, Swift maintains a significantly larger following of about 33.5 million, with her limited content garnering over 274 million likes.
Furthermore, neither figure holds the title of the platform’s most popular account. The top ranks on TikTok remain firmly held by creators such as Khaby Lame, Charli D’Amelio and Mr Beast, each of whom boasts follower counts that far exceed those of both Trump and Swift.
The president’s comments follow a week of intense media coverage surrounding Swift’s personal life and marriage to National Football League (NFL) star Travis Kelce, an atmosphere that has seen the White House occasionally engage with the singer’s pop culture branding.
Trump has offered no evidence for the rankings he cited during the briefing, and the White House has yet to provide further clarification.
