“Mind you he’s the one that tried to ban it”: Netizens react as Donald Trump claims he “saved TikTok”, tells young generation they owe him

Donald Trump and the Vice President JD Vance returned to TikTok on Monday after almost a year. In the first video after rejoining the popular app, the US President told the young users that they "owe" him for saving TikTok from the ban. He then stated that one day, one of the viewers would be in the Oval Office, and they would do a great job.

The short message is going viral on social media platforms as netizens are seemingly surprised by Donald Trump's statement.

For the unversed, the TikTok controversy began in 2020 during the first term of the Trump administration.

Donald Trump shares new video:

“To all those young people of TikTok, I saved TikTok, so you owe me big….” pic.twitter.com/kMpiczSmYK

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 6, 2025

President Trump claimed that the app owned by the Chinese company ByteDance was allegedly spying on its users and collecting their data.

During the Joe Biden administration, the US government ordered ByteDance to sell the app to US investors or it would face a ban.

In January 2025, TikTok was briefly banned in the US. After Donald Trump began his second term as President, he extended TikTok's operating deadline and unbanned it.

Last month, he signed an executive order allowing TikTok to operate in the US, as ByteDance owns less than a 20% stake in the app.

Netizens have now started mocking the President for claiming he saved TikTok. X user (@lastdubem) pointed out that Trump initially wanted the app banned.

"Mind you he's the one that tried to ban it in the first place," they wrote.

Netizens pointed out that the President was trying to take credit for saving TikTok when he had heavily criticized the platform in the past.

"Does he think we're that dense, how did he save TikTok if he was the one who was gonna get rid of it in the first place.. dumbass president," one netizen wrote.

"We dont owe you anything. YOU tried to ban Tik Tok not someone else. Stop trying to play a hero, you will never be one," another netizen noted.

"He was the one who wanted tiktok to be banned in the country and then he changed his mind so young people could thank him, he's so stupid," one X user wrote.

Some netizens claimed the social media app allegedly runs propaganda after the President unbanned it, saying the Trump administration reportedly "controls" the TikTok algorithm.

"He literally tried to ban it because they couldn't control the app, now he's saying he saved it because they control algorithm now," one user added.

"He banned it and turned it into a Zionist propaganda machine, nobody is thanking this Cheeto stain," another netizen wrote.

"Lmaooo I called it... the entire app will be political propaganda every other video," one X user stated.

Donald Trump claimed China approved the TikTok deal

The US President told the press on Monday that China allowed ByteDance to sell TikTok to American investors. According to CNBC's September 25, 2025, report, Abu Dhabi-based investment fund MGX, Oracle, and private-equity firm Silver Lake would own 45% of TikTok.

While ByteDance shareholders would own 35%, the parent company retains less than 20% of the app.

"Everyone said you'd never get the TikTok deal approved. They approved it, and we have great people buying it, American, big, strong American companies are buying it, the most prestigious companies there are, actually, and they're going to make sure everything's good," Trump said.

Vice President JD Vance stated that the app has a $14 billion valuation. He also shared on his recent TikTok that he would share political updates with his followers, along with what's happening at the White House.