Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump recently voiced his support for TikTok, even as the popular short-form video app faces a potential ban in the United States. This marks a significant shift from his previous stance when, as president, he attempted to ban TikTok and Chinese-owned WeChat in 2020.
During his presidency, Trump declared TikTok a national security threat, citing concerns over the app’s Chinese ownership and potential data privacy issues.
In 2020, he signed executive orders aimed at banning TikTok and WeChat unless their U.S. operations were sold to American companies. However, these efforts were blocked by U.S. courts, and the subsequent Biden administration withdrew the Trump-era executive orders in June 2021.
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Despite his previous efforts to ban TikTok, Trump recently told Bloomberg BusinessWeek, “I’m for TikTok because you need competition. If you don’t have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram.”
This shift in position has raised eyebrows, given his attempts to ban TikTok and history of criticizing Meta Platforms-owned Facebook and Instagram for suspending his accounts following the January 6 Capitol Hill riot.
Political Motivations Behind Trump’s U-Turn
Trump’s newfound support for TikTok can be seen as a politically motivated move. After being banned from Facebook and Twitter (now X), Trump’s relationship with major social media platforms soured. His company, Trump Media and Technology Group, operates Truth Social, a social media platform he quickly founded as a competitor to mainstream networks like Facebook and Twitter following his ban.
Supporting TikTok now, a rival to these platforms, is believed to align with Trump’s broader strategy to challenge the dominance of tech giants that have previously censored him.
Additionally, Trump’s endorsement of TikTok could be a strategic move to appeal to younger voters who heavily use the app. TikTok’s vast user base in the U.S., reportedly around 170 million Americans, represents a significant demographic that could influence electoral outcomes. By positioning himself as a supporter of TikTok, Trump may be attempting to garner favor among these users.
Legislative Challenges for TikTok
Despite Trump’s support, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain. In April 2024, President Joe Biden signed a law requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. assets by January 19, 2025, or face a ban. This bipartisan legislation was instigated by ongoing concerns among U.S. lawmakers about potential national security risks posed by Chinese-owned apps.
The Biden administration’s approach aims to end Chinese-based ownership of TikTok on national security grounds without outright banning the app. This nuanced stance came after Biden had reversed Trump’s executive orders Trump targeting TikTok.
The U.S. government’s scrutiny of TikTok is part of a broader effort to address concerns about foreign influence and data privacy. Lawmakers worry that the Chinese government could access data on American users or use the app for espionage. These concerns have driven bipartisan support for measures to limit Chinese ownership of technology companies operating in the U.S.
However, critics argue that banning TikTok or forcing its sale could have significant economic implications. TikTok has become a major player in the social media industry, with substantial investments in the U.S. economy and a large user base. The app’s popularity among young people and content creators has also made it an important platform for cultural and social expression.
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