US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming national security adviser announced Thursday that the new administration aims to keep TikTok operational in the United States, contingent on a feasible deal.
“We will implement measures to prevent TikTok from shutting down,” Representative Mike Waltz told Fox News. He noted that the law authorizes a 90-day extension for TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to finalize a divestiture, provided a viable deal is on the table. “This essentially allows President Trump time to maintain TikTok’s operations.”
Trump Administration’s Support for TikTok
Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team, emphasized, “President Trump has consistently shown his support for keeping TikTok operational, and there’s no better dealmaker than Donald Trump.”
According to Reuters, TikTok plans to shut down its U.S. operations this Sunday. Unless it receives a last-minute reprieve, a federal ban will take effect. Currently, 170 million Americans use this social media platform.
Legislation enacted in April will initiate a ban on new TikTok downloads from Apple or Google app stores if ByteDance does not divest the platform. While existing users might still access the app, the law also prevents U.S. companies from offering services related to the distribution, maintenance, or updating of the app once any ban commences.
In a separate report, the Wall Street Journal reported that TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will attend the U.S. presidential inauguration on January 20 as one of the high-profile guests invited by Trump. Sources informed Reuters that Chew will be in Washington, D.C., starting Monday.
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Representative Frank Pallone, the leading Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, voiced criticism over the invitation of Chew on the social media platform X. “Trump talks a big game on China and wanted to ban TikTok—just like many Republicans voted to do,” Pallone remarked. “But now, he’s inviting TikTok’s CEO to sit beside him at his inauguration, even though TikTok is linked to the CCP and poses a national security threat. What message does this send?”
The U.S. Supreme Court is deliberating whether to enforce the law banning TikTok this Sunday, overturn it, or delay its decision to allow more time.
