Trump reportedly considering executive order to ‘save’ TikTok
President-elect Trump is making efforts to rescue the popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, despite potential challenges from the Supreme Court. The transition team for Trump has indicated that he may issue an executive order to prevent TikTok from being banned in the U.S.
Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, mentioned that Trump values TikTok as a widely used platform that has played a crucial role in his campaign and message dissemination. Additionally, he emphasized Trump’s commitment to protecting user data and his willingness to negotiate a deal to save TikTok.
Karoline Leavitt, the Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman, reiterated Trump’s desire to save TikTok, highlighting his reputation as a skilled dealmaker. The current law mandates TikTok to either divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face removal from U.S.-based app stores and hosting services within nine months.
The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments regarding this law and Trump’s attorneys filed an amicus brief urging the court to delay any potential ban until Trump assumes office. The court’s decision will determine the fate of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which could restrict U.S. access to TikTok.
With approximately 170 million active American users, TikTok is a significant platform for reaching a wide audience. Despite previous attempts to ban the app during Trump’s first administration, he acknowledged its effectiveness in engaging young voters during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Fox News Digital reached out to TikTok for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication. It will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds and whether Trump’s efforts to save TikTok will be successful.
This article was written by Jamie Joseph, a political writer covering Senate news for Fox News Digital.
