Trump’s TikTok claim rests on a narrower world-leader ranking

President Donald Trump repeatedly said this week that he is “number one” on TikTok, citing his reach on the social video platform as evidence that his message is spreading. The narrower measure behind the claim is that Trump is the most-followed world leader on TikTok, with 16.7 million followers as of July 9, according to CNBC.

That ranking does not make him the most-followed person on the platform overall. CNBC reported that Khabane Lame, the Senegalese influencer known for short comedy videos, had 162.3 million followers on July 9, almost 10 times Trump’s total. Charli D’Amelio, who became prominent through viral dance videos, ranked second with 159.2 million followers.

Trump made the broader claim at the White House on Monday, telling reporters that new figures showed he was the top person on TikTok and saying that he had passed Taylor Swift. CNBC reported that Swift had 33.5 million followers as of July 9, a little more than twice Trump’s following on the app.

The basis for Trump’s statement appeared in a Truth Social post on Sunday. In that post, Trump shared a message from TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew saying the president was the most-followed world leader on TikTok. Asked by CNBC about the difference between that narrower ranking and Trump’s wider phrasing, the White House pointed to a second Truth Social post in which Trump had reposted the original message.

CNBC’s analysis found that Trump leads other political leaders with accounts on the platform. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele had 12.9 million followers, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum had 9.3 million and French President Emmanuel Macron had 7.3 million. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had 1.5 million followers.

The comparison is limited by the fact that many heads of government and state do not maintain TikTok accounts. CNBC noted that China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and many Middle Eastern leaders are not on the platform.

Trump also surpasses several U.S. political figures on TikTok. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran against him in the 2024 presidential election, had 10.1 million followers, CNBC reported. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden do not have official TikTok accounts.

Trump’s TikTok posts are largely short videos from the Oval Office in which he addresses viewers about presidential priorities, announcements and policy initiatives. CNBC reported that some posts take a lighter tone, including a May video in which he explained a nickname for Democrats and another that depicted late-night host Stephen Colbert being thrown into a Dumpster before Trump danced to “Y.M.C.A.” by Village People.

At the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, Trump again referred to his TikTok standing and said he uses the platform to discuss the United States’ success and his criticism of communism. TikTok offers political figures a direct channel to large audiences, but rankings can vary sharply depending on whether the comparison is against elected leaders, entertainers or all creators on the app.

Trump’s reach is larger on some other platforms. CNBC reported that he had 111.7 million followers on X, 44 million on Instagram and 12.9 million on Truth Social.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.