The White House has officially joined TikTok, launching an account that features short, edited video clips of President Donald Trump and his staff portraying them as witty, combative, and in full control of the political narrative.

The debut posts, uploaded Tuesday night, include a sizzle reel of Trump brushing off calls from members of Congress, threatening lawsuits during a press conference, and praising Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt for “ripping” into a New York Times reporter.

The move is a striking turn in the long-running saga over TikTok’s future in the United States. Under a law signed by then-President Joe Biden in 2023, TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance was ordered to divest from the app or face a nationwide ban, with a deadline set for September 17, 2024. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law earlier this year, affirming the government’s power to enforce the “divest-or-ban” mandate.

Yet since taking office, Trump has repeatedly delayed the law’s enforcement, issuing executive extensions three times this year. The app has only gone dark once — in January, when it was unavailable for a single day before Trump extended the deadline by 75 days. Another 90-day reprieve followed in April, and a further 60-day extension in June. With the White House now opening its own official TikTok account, analysts say the administration has effectively signaled it has no real intention of banning the app.

The decision highlights a complete reversal from Trump’s first term, when he attempted to ban TikTok outright in 2020, citing national security concerns about Chinese access to American user data.

During his 2024 re-election campaign, however, Trump embraced the platform after realizing its unmatched reach among younger voters. His campaign account, @TeamTrump, quickly became one of the most dominant political voices on TikTok, racking up 2.8 billion views compared to Democratic rival Kamala Harris’s 2.2 billion, according to journalist Kyle Tharp.

GOP strategists credited Trump’s reality-TV instincts for helping him turn campaign moments into viral content.

By launching @WhiteHouse, the administration is doubling down on a platform that federal employees were previously barred from using on government devices. The decision underscores how Trump views TikTok not as a threat but as a potent communications tool capable of shaping public opinion and mobilizing supporters.

Initial reaction to the White House’s posts has been divided. All five videos uploaded by Wednesday morning were flooded with negative comments, many referencing Trump’s past association with Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender. Nonetheless, administration officials defended the move as a bold step forward in political messaging.

“President Trump’s message dominated TikTok during his presidential campaign, and we’re excited to build upon those successes and communicate in a way no other administration has before,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

Trump himself has argued that banning TikTok would make little sense while his content continues to draw billions of views on the app.

For lawmakers who pushed hard for a ban, the White House’s embrace of TikTok may prove contentious. Both Republicans and Democrats have voiced concerns that ByteDance’s ties to Beijing still pose risks to U.S. national security. But so far, Trump’s extensions and the administration’s fresh TikTok presence suggest that economic and political considerations are outweighing those warnings.

With less than a month until the September 17 deadline, no deal has yet been reached for a U.S. company to purchase TikTok. The administration has declined to say whether another extension will be granted. But by joining the platform itself, the White House has made one point clear: a full-scale ban on TikTok under Trump is looking increasingly unlikely.

Champion Breweries Plc has entered into an agreement to acquire the brand assets and intellectual property rights of the Bullet range of alcoholic and energy beverages from Sun Mark International Limited.

The company, a subsidiary of enJOYcorp, announced in a filing on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on August 20, 2025, that the acquisition of the Bullet energy beverage portfolio aligns with its strategy to diversify into high-growth food and beverage categories. Industry analysts say this marks a significant pivot from the brewer’s traditional focus on beer and malt, signaling a deliberate attempt to capture growth in Nigeria’s booming energy and ready-to-drink segments.

Structured as an asset carve-out, the deal will see the assets transferred to a newly incorporated company in the Netherlands, with Champion holding a majority stake and Vinar N.V., a Belgian entity and majority shareholder of Sun Mark, retaining a minority interest.

Champion noted that the transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals, including clearance from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). If approved, the deal will allow Champion to report Bullet’s assets in its financials, with immediate gains expected from foreign exchange earnings, distributor reach, and longer-term benefits from supply chain integration, product diversification, and stronger market presence.

Bullet already has a strong presence across 14 African markets, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania. In Nigeria, Bullet Black is the leading ready-to-drink beverage, while Bullet Blue ranks among the top six energy drink brands. Energy drinks have continued to defy Nigeria’s broader consumer slowdown, with rising youth demand and the product’s entrenched position in nightlife and entertainment culture driving sales growth.

This acquisition builds on Champion’s recent momentum, following a strong H1 2025 performance that underscored its turnaround story. The company reported a pre-tax profit of N3.4 billion, compared with a loss of N333 million in the first half of 2024.

H1 Performance

Champion Breweries Plc reported a pre-tax profit of N1.7 billion in the second quarter of 2025, a 268.95% increase from N465.4 million in the same period last year. This brought half-year pre-tax profit to N3.4 billion, compared with a loss of N333 million in the first half of 2024.

The growth was driven by stronger beer and malt sales, which rose 44.18% year-on-year to N7.4 billion in Q2, pushing total revenue for the half year to N15.9 billion, up 66.92%. Cost of sales increased to N3.5 billion from N2.9 billion in Q2 2024, but gross profit still climbed 72.90% to N3.8 billion, from N2.2 billion last year. With no foreign exchange losses during the quarter, profit after tax rose 198.17% year-on-year to N1.3 billion.

As of June 2025, total assets stood at N25.9 billion, up 21.57%, while retained earnings grew 45.13% to N5.6 billion.

In the capital markets, Champion has emerged as one of the most outstanding performers this year. As of the close of trading on August 20, 2025, its shares had gained over 418% year-to-date, and investors expect the recent acquisition to provide further momentum.

Analysts suggest that this move not only cements Champion’s financial recovery but also positions it to compete in Nigeria’s fast-growing non-alcoholic and energy drink market — one dominated by global heavyweights such as Red Bull, Monster, and Coca-Cola’s Predator brand. With Bullet’s established African footprint, Champion is set to leverage distribution synergies, deepen its penetration, and create new revenue streams in line with its diversification agenda.