Trump Supports TikTok Despite Looming Ban Threat

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has expressed support for TikTok, even as the popular app faces a potential ban in the United States if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, fails to divest its U.S. assets.

“I’m for TikTok because you need competition. If you don’t have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram,” Trump told Reuters in an interview posted Tuesday. This marks a shift from his earlier stance, where he labeled TikTok a threat, although he joined the platform last month. Trump’s criticism of Meta Platforms-owned Facebook and Instagram stems from their decision to suspend him for two years following the deadly Capitol Hill riot on Jan. 6, 2021. He stated in June that he would never support a TikTok ban.

TikTok declined to comment on Trump’s latest remarks. As president, Trump attempted to ban TikTok and Chinese-owned WeChat in 2020, but the courts blocked these moves. In June 2021, President Joe Biden rescinded a series of Trump-era executive orders that sought to ban the apps. Trump maintains a significant stake in Trump Media and Technology Group, which operates the rival social media network Truth Social. Despite holding a $7 billion market cap, Trump Media reported quarterly revenue of approximately $770,000, comparable to the earnings of two U.S. Starbucks locations.

Read more: Biden’s TikTok Dilemma: Go After China or Pursue Social Media Antitrust Claims

In September, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is set to hold oral arguments on legal challenges to a new law mandating ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. assets by Jan. 19 or face a ban. This hearing will occur amid the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election.

Signed by Biden on April 24, the law requires ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 19 to avoid a ban. The White House has emphasized the need to end Chinese-based ownership of the app on national security grounds, rather than seeking a complete ban. Biden’s campaign joined TikTok in February, underscoring the platform’s significant influence and reach among American users.

Source: Reuters