Trump Reaffirms Support for Chinese App Amid Potential U.S. Ban

Former President Donald Trump has once again vocalized his support for TikTok to remain operational in the United States, despite his previous attempts to ban the Chinese social media platform during his tenure in the White House. In an interview published on Tuesday, Trump underscored the importance of competition in the social media landscape, suggesting that banning TikTok would only benefit Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, whose company owns Facebook and Instagram.

“Now [that] I’m thinking about it, I’m for TikTok, because you need competition,” Trump told a news outlet last month. “If you don’t have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram — and that’s, you know, that’s Zuckerberg.”

President Joe Biden signed a bill in April that compels TikTok to divest its Chinese ownership within up to 12 months or face a nationwide ban. In response, TikTok has sued the U.S. government on grounds of First Amendment rights. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is set to hear oral arguments in the case in September. Both TikTok and the U.S. Justice Department have requested a resolution by December 6, allowing for a potential review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

For years, U.S. officials have scrutinized TikTok due to concerns over privacy and national security, given the platform’s ties to China. Trump’s earlier efforts to ban TikTok via executive order in 2020 were blocked by the courts. His recent support for TikTok marks a shift that appears partly influenced by lobbying efforts from allies connected to GOP megadonor Jeff Yass. Yass’ Susquehanna International Group holds a 15% stake in ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company.

Trump has even established his presence on TikTok, amassing over 8.4 million followers. His supporters are also active on the platform, as is Biden’s campaign. In a video posted on his TikTok account last month, Trump declared, “I’m going to save TikTok.”

Adding another layer to his stance, Trump still harbors resentment over Meta’s decision to “indefinitely” suspend his accounts following the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. “All of a sudden,” he said, “I went from No. 1 to having nobody.”

Meta reinstated Trump’s accounts last year but implemented “new guardrails in place to deter repeat offenses.” According to Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, Trump now faces heightened penalties for any repeat offenses. This policy applies to other public figures reinstated after suspensions related to civil unrest.