Trump evolves from backing TikTok ban to being seen as app’s savior
FOX Business’ Taylor Riggs joins ‘Fox & Friends First’ to discuss President-elect Trump’s relationship with Big Tech, potential investment plans and the agenda for the first 100 days.
President-elect Donald Trump has made a years-long about-face at the Chinese social media app TikTok, culminating in his being credited with rescuing the app on Sunday.
The first Trump administration had originally proposed banning the app or forcing it to be sold to a non-Chinese owner, but the plan never materialized until President Biden took office in 2020. A bipartisan group of lawmakers then signed it into law, setting a deadline for the ban January 19.
As of now, Trump and other politicians have agreed that TikTok poses a major national security threat because it is owned by ByteDance, a company owned by the Chinese Communist Party.
The app went dark for a short time on Sunday, as no purchase agreement has been reached, only Trump will step in and promise to push back the deadline.
President-elect Donald Trump has called for a delay to ban or sell TikTok, which was originally set for January 19. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
As a result, TikTok’s 170 million American users were instead presented with a message thanking Trump for his efforts to save the app.
“Welcome back. the TikTok message read. “Thank you for your patience and support. Thanks to President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the US.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump wrote on TRUTH Social that he was “asking companies not to let TikTok stay in the dark.” He promised to extend the ban or sale by executive order on Monday, though he did not provide details on the extension.
President Biden has allowed legislation to ban or sell TikTok to move forward under his administration. (Reuters)
“By doing this, we’re saving TikTok, keeping it in good hands and letting it go [stay] up. Without U.S. approval, there is no TikTok. It is worth hundreds of billions, maybe trillions,” Trump wrote. “So my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or the new owners that the U.S. gets. 50% ownership in a joint venture created between the US and any purchase we choose.”
Trump’s renewed support for TikTok comes after the company’s CEO, Shaw Chiu, visited the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago home in December.
TIKTOK Shout Out To Trump As The App Reaches About Us For A Million Users
TikTok later released another statement from its X account, again thanking the incoming president.
TikTok has welcomed users back to the social media platform after President-elect Trump vowed to implement an executive order delaying the ban. (Reuters / Reuters Photos)
“We thank President Trump for providing our service providers with the clarity and assurance they need that they will not face penalties, providing TikTok to more than 170 million Americans and allowing more than 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the statement said. “It’s a strong stance against 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.”
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Despite the extension, ByteDance has has repeatedly rejected offers to sell the app.The company has not considered whether it would support the kind of shared ownership Trump has described.
Fox Business’ Daniel Wallace contributed to this report.
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