Trump Administration Considers TikTok’s Future Amid Legal Challenges
As TikTok faces significant legal scrutiny, the Trump administration is weighing potential options for the app’s future in the United States. Florida Representative Mike Waltz, selected by President-elect Trump as his national security adviser, revealed that preserving TikTok is under consideration.
During an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Waltz addressed a report from The Washington Post regarding a possible executive order from Trump. This order could pause the enforcement of a federal law that threatens to ban the app nationwide by Sunday.
The Supreme Court recently entertained oral arguments concerning the statute challenged by TikTok, its parent company ByteDance, and app users. The law demands ByteDance divest from TikTok due to national security concerns or risk a ban in one of its most significant markets. The Justices appeared inclined to uphold this law.
Waltz commented on the situation, stating, “If the Supreme Court comes out with a ruling in favor of the law, President Trump has been very clear: Number one, TikTok is a great platform that many Americans use and has been great for his campaign and getting his message out. But number two, he’s going to protect their data.” He further added, “He’s a deal maker. I don’t want to get ahead of our executive orders, but we’re going to create this space to put that deal in place.”
Meanwhile, Pam Bondi, nominated by Trump for the position of attorney general, avoided directly addressing whether she would enforce a TikTok ban during a Senate hearing.
Trump’s stance on TikTok has notably shifted since his initial attempt to ban it in his first term, citing national security threats. During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump embraced TikTok, leveraging it to engage younger voters, particularly males, with content designed to go viral. He campaigned on a promise to “save TikTok” and has acknowledged the platform’s role in securing additional youth votes.
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