Scoop: Trump's Cabinet members are joining TikTok after DOJ shift

Most of President Trump's Cabinet will launch TikTok accounts Tuesday, a move that comes days after the Justice Department told federal employees it was safe to use the app because of its sale to a U.S.-approved owner.

Why it matters: The move is a striking shift from Trump's first term, when his administration argued that TikTok posed a national security threat because of its ownership by China's ByteDance.

• By joining the app themselves, Cabinet officials are effectively signaling that TikTok is now an acceptable venue for government messaging.

The background: The 2022 No TikTok on Government Devices Act said TikTok couldn't be used on government-issued phones.

• But Trump's DOJ now says that law is no longer applicable, given the change in the company's ownership to a U.S.-controlled venture earlier year.

Zoom in: Trump's administration now views TikTok as a powerful tool for reaching young voters.

• Trump himself has been on the app since 2024, and some of his posts — including one documenting his appearance at a UFC event — have gotten hundreds of millions of views.