President-elect Donald Trump hinted on Sunday that TikTok might be allowed to continue operating in the United States for the time being. Speaking to a crowd largely of conservative supporters in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump highlighted the platform's impact on his presidential campaign, noting it garnered billions of views. His remarks signaled a strong opposition to the potential removal of TikTok from the US market.
Trump said, “I think we’re going to have to start thinking because, you know, we did go on TikTok, and we had a great response with billions of views, billions and billions of views. They brought me a chart, and it was a record, and it was so beautiful to see, and as I looked at it, I said, ‘Maybe we gotta keep this sucker around for a little while’.”
In April, the US Senate passed legislation requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its stake in the app, citing concerns over national security. ByteDance has challenged the law, and the US Supreme Court has agreed to review the case. However, if the court rules against ByteDance and no divestment takes place, TikTok could face an effective ban in the United States as early as January 19, a day before Trump’s inauguration. How Trump might reverse the divestiture order, which passed with overwhelming support in the Senate, remains uncertain.
Donald Trump Has A Soft Spot For TikTok
On Monday, Trump held a meeting with TikTok’s CEO, later expressing during a news conference that he had a “soft spot” for the platform due to its role in his campaign’s success, according to Reuters. Despite this sentiment, the Justice Department has maintained its stance that TikTok’s ties to Chinese ownership present an ongoing national security risk—a view widely supported by US lawmakers.
TikTok, however, disputes these claims, emphasising that the Justice Department has mischaracterised its connections to China. The company asserts that its content recommendation algorithms and user data are hosted on cloud servers managed by Oracle Corp within the United States. Furthermore, it points out that all content moderation decisions affecting US users are made domestically, further distancing itself from Chinese influence.