REPORT: Trump to Block TikTok Ban

During Trump’s first term, he suggested banning TikTok because it was a Chinese-owned company that could result in our information being stolen by the Chinese government.

Democrats mocked Trump at the time but since then, there has been a growing bipartisan effort to ban TikTok in this country.

Trump has since reversed his position, and he now appears to be poised to block the ban.

Don’t Alienate Them

There are roughly 180 million TikTok users in this country, which is about half the population.

Many of those people use TikTok and other social media outlets to earn money as influencers.

Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway stated that Trump is no longer looking to ban the outlet, adding that there are “many ways to hold China to account outside alienating 180 million U.S. users each month.”

Trump has had a change of heart after this presidential campaign where podcasters and influencers helped him gain traction among younger male voters.

Currently, ByteDance, which owns TikTok, must sell the company by January 19, 2025, the day before inauguration day.

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Trump’s incoming Secretary of State, is among those who supported the law.

At the time the ban was introduced, Rubio had stated, “TikTok extended the Chinese Communist Party’s power and influence into our own nation, right under our noses … this new law forcing ByteDance to divest from TikTok is a huge step toward confronting Beijing’s malign influence.”

Governor Kristi Noem, who has been touched by Trump as his Homeland Security Director, had also banned TikTok from state devices in South Dakota.

Trump’s incoming National Security Adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) also voted in favor of the legislation to ban TikTok when it made its way through the House.

My guess here is that Biden will extend the deadline and kick the can down the road to Trump on this one.

It will be interesting to hear from the administration, however, on how everyone has suddenly flipped their vote on this and how they can prevent China from stealing the data they were so worried about when passing this legislation initially.