Trump promises to delay TikTok ban via executive order | Donald Trump
Donald Trump pledged on Sunday to suspend TikTok's ban in the United States, saying he would sign an executive order giving the company another 90 days to find a buyer before facing a total shutdown and proposing that the United States or a U.S. company take action Action 50% equity.
TikTok stopped serving its 170 million users in the United States late Saturday as the Chinese short-video app was shut down due to a federal ban. The president-elect promised in a social media post on Sunday that he would sign an executive order upon taking office on Monday.
“By doing this, we saved TikTok, put it in good hands, and made it work,” Trump said. “Without U.S. approval, there would be no TikTok. If it gets our approval, its value will be Hundreds of billions of dollars — maybe trillions of dollars.”
Congress passed a law in April requiring TikTok to either be sold to non-Chinese owners or face a total shutdown, which the app chose to do after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday to uphold the ban.
A message that popped up on TikTok for U.S. users on Saturday night stated that “the United States has enacted a law banning TikTok.” The news comes as a surprise considering the law only requires app stores to remove them. “Unfortunately, this means you can't use TikTok right now.” TikTok's website came back online for some U.S. users late Sunday, but the app itself remained dark.
Trump attempted to intervene on TikTok's behalf at the 11th hour, even though it was Trump who initially pushed for the ban. But during the 2024 presidential campaign, he changed his tune after discovering the app's massive audience.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew posted a video thanking Trump for his efforts to keep the app active in the United States. He is expected to attend Trump's inauguration in person.
Incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz also told CNN on Sunday that Trump had not ruled out continued Chinese ownership and “secured data in the United States through the Great Firewall” territorially protected”.
He also told CBS News on Sunday that Trump said he was working to “save” TikTok and needed time to resolve issues related to the company and evaluate potential buyers.
It's unclear whether Trump can circumvent the ban entirely, although he could order the Justice Department not to enforce the act. He also said the Supreme Court's ruling should be “respected.”
Meanwhile, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said during an NBC news conference on Sunday that he intends to maintain the TikTok ban.
“When President Trump puts out truth posts and says save TikTok, our interpretation is that he's going to try to force a real divestment, change of hands and ownership,” Johnson said.
He added that members of Congress were not worried about the app itself, but about the Chinese Communist Party, and said TikTok owner ByteDance has 270 days to sell the app in the United States.
Some Republicans rejected the idea of extending the ban.
“Now that the law is in effect, there is no formality,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) said in a statement. The legal basis for the extension' of its effective date,” a joint statement on Sunday.
“In order for TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that satisfies legally qualified divestiture requirements by severing all ties between TikTok and communist China. Only then can Americans be protected from the privacy and security concerns of a Communist-controlled TikTok pose a serious threat.”
Several Democrats last week urged President Biden to issue a reprieve to give TikTok more time before shutting it down.
“It’s clear that more time is needed to find a U.S. buyer for TikTok,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on January 16. “We will continue to work to keep TikTok alive, protect the livelihoods of content creators, prevent Chinese surveillance, and protect national security. I will work with the Trump administration to find solutions.”
Shark Tank celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary said on Friday he offered TikTok owners a $20 billion takeover offer, while Perplexity AI reportedly offered to merge with TikTok US Make an offer instead of buying the app outright.