Meme alert: Donald Trump ‘saves’ TikTok after banning it; social media reacts, ‘MAGAs got played’

A popular Instagram account, Men’s Humor, has shared a meme on US President-elect Donald Trump “saving” TikTok. The social media account has 3.9 million followers on Instagram.

In the meme, Donald Trump is seen honouring Trump himself for saving TikTok. If you don’t understand the context of the meme, here is a heads-up.

Donald Trump bans TikTok

In 2020, US President Donald Trump used emergency economic powers to impose sanctions on TikTok. The Executive Order (EO) pressured its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell its US operations to an American company.

The EO, effective in 45 days, banned transactions between ByteDance and US citizens, citing national security concerns.

TikTok responded by saying it was “shocked” by the decision. The company accused the Trump administration of ignoring facts, bypassing legal processes and interfering in private business negotiations.

The order "sets a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets", the company added.

Donald Trump saves TikTok

Cut to 2025: The US Supreme Court upheld a law that could ban TikTok, disappointing millions of users who rely on it for income. Lawmakers claimed the app’s connections to China posed a security risk.

However, on January 19, TikTok started restoring its services after President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would bring the app back once he took office on January 20. He stated at a rally that saving TikTok was necessary and mentioned plans for a joint venture to revive the platform, used by 17 crore Americans.

"Frankly, we have no choice. We have to save it," Reuters quoted Trump as saying at a rally on January 19. TikTok later informed users that Trump’s efforts had brought the app back.

Social media reactions

Social media users shared various memes as Donald Trump wrote “SAVE TIKTOK” on Truth Social.

“He knows how to please all you simple minded lefties,” commented one user on the post by Men's Humor on Instagram.

“But it was China, China, China. They are spying on us and stealing our farmland. Now Trump is in love with China, you magas got played,” wrote another while referring to MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters.

“LA is burning. Let’s save TikTok,” quipped one user while referring to the California wildfires.

“Gaslighting Americans at its finest,” wrote another.