Mary Trump says TikTok permanently banned her account after two strikes, including one for a recent video criticizing FCC Chair Brendan Carr for threatening to revoke broadcast licenses over coverage of the Iran conflict. She suggested the ban is linked to Oracle founder Larry Ellison's role in the new U.S. investor group that controls much of TikTok U.S. and to a reported $10 billion payment tied to the deal. Critics, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, condemned Carr's license comments as unconstitutional, while the White House dismissed Mary's claims.
Mary Trump Says TikTok Permanently Banned Her After Criticizing FCC Chair Brendan Carr
Trump's niece has frequently laid into her uncle for his actions. / Matthew Horwood / Getty Images
Mary Trump, a vocal critic of former president Donald Trump, says TikTok has permanently banned her account after the platform notified her of two separate violations. She wrote about the action on her Substack newsletter, The Good In Us, and said one flagged post dates back to October 2024 while a second strike followed a recent video criticizing Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr.
Mary wrote that she found out she was permanently banned from TikTok and that she did not understand the reason for the action.
Ellison's Oracle is one of the key investors in TikTok's U.S. operation. / Anna Moneymaker / Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Mary tied the ban to Oracle founder Larry Ellison's involvement in the U.S. TikTok ownership arrangement. Oracle holds a reported 15% stake in TikTok U.S. and is part of a majority investor group that has taken over many operational and security decisions from ByteDance, which retained a 19.9% stake. Media reports have said the framework for the deal includes a roughly $10 billion payment to the U.S. government.
Mary said the timing was politically charged, arguing that left-leaning accounts could face tougher enforcement after Ellison's firm joined the investor group. She described the development as a "five-alarm fire" for critics of the Trump administration.
Billionaire Ellison has close ties to the Trump administration. / Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
The immediate dispute centers on comments by FCC Chair Brendan Carr after joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began. Carr warned broadcasters that networks running what he called "hoaxes and news distortions" should correct course before license renewals and suggested that broadcasters could lose licenses if they do not operate in the public interest. Critics, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, called Carr's remarks unconstitutional; Reuters noted the FCC has not revoked a broadcast-TV license in about four decades.
The Wall Street Journal and other outlets have reported details of the TikTok ownership arrangement and the reported payment to the U.S. Treasury. The White House has described the investor group as friendly to President Trump. The Daily Beast reported that White House Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed Mary Trump's claims and attacked her credibility when asked about the ban.
Carr has threatened networks' licenses over the war with Iran. / Jonathan Ernst / REUTERS
TikTok has not publicly provided a detailed explanation beyond notifying Mary Trump of the two violations. The Daily Beast and other outlets say they have contacted TikTok and the White House for comment.
What To Watch: Whether TikTok provides a specific explanation for the violations and whether other high-profile critics of the administration report similar enforcement actions following the ownership changes.
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