President-elect Donald Trump suggested keeping TikTok operational in the U.S. despite calls for its ban, citing the app’s significant role in his presidential campaign. Speaking at AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump highlighted the billions of views his campaign content garnered on TikTok, expressing a “warm spot” for the platform.
“They brought me a chart, and it was a record… I said, ‘Maybe we gotta keep this sucker around for a little while,’” Trump told the conservative crowd. His remarks mark a notable departure from bipartisan concerns over the app’s Chinese ownership.
The U.S. Senate passed legislation in April demanding ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, divest its U.S. operations over national security concerns. Critics argue Chinese control could lead to data misuse or propaganda. The Supreme Court is set to hear ByteDance’s challenge against the law. Without a favorable ruling or divestiture by January 19, TikTok faces a potential ban a day before Trump assumes office.
Trump’s openness to TikTok contrasts with Justice Department warnings about the app’s ties to China. TikTok counters these claims, asserting U.S. user data is stored domestically on Oracle’s cloud servers, with moderation decisions handled within the United States.
While Trump met with TikTok’s CEO earlier this week, it remains unclear how he might counteract the divestiture order, which passed with strong bipartisan support. His comments signal a potential shift in the administration’s stance, though security concerns continue to dominate the debate.
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