President-elect Trump outlines plan to save TikTok and explains why he likes the popular app.
President-elect Trump declared that TikTok is returning to the U.S. market, after its brief ban, during a pre-inauguration rally on Sunday under a new arrangement.
This time, he told his supporters who gathered in Washington that he was aiming to create a deal in which the U.S. would have 50% ownership of the popular app’s operations.
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the bipartisan law passed last year banning TikTok unless its Chinese-owned company ByteDance sells it by Sunday, citing national security risks because of its ties to China’s communist government. The decision followed months of negotiations regarding national security concerns related to the app’s Chinese ownership.
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Trump, who claimed the app helped him connect with younger voters during his campaign, has urged companies not to allow TikTok to go dark.
“If you don’t approve, they’re out of business, they’re worth nothing. If you do approve, they’re worth like $1 trillion … some crazy number. So I said, ‘I’ll approve, but let the United States of America own 50% of TikTok,'” he told supporters.
(Yan Cong/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)
He emphasized the importance of keeping the app, saying, “We don’t want to give our business to China. We don’t want to give our business to other people.”
He also argued the joint venture wouldn’t pose any risk to the U.S.
“There’s no risk. We’re not putting up any money. All we’re doing is giving them the approval without which they don’t have anything,” he added.
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Before his remarks, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he will issue an executive order on Monday, when he is to be sworn in as the nation’s 47th president, “to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
“The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order,” he said.
After Trump’s pledge to keep the app from going dark in the U.S., the social media company began to restore U.S. operations.
TikTok’s account on X dedicated to releasing policy updates posted a statement later Sunday saying, “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.”
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“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the statement said. “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration, according to Fox News.
FOX News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
