Jan. 19 (UPI) — Returning President Donald Trump, ahead of his second term in office, said Sunday that TikTok users “deserve to see” his “exciting inauguration” as he promised an extension that would keep the app from staying dark.
“I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
“Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations.”
Trump said he has proposed that a U.S. company enter into a joint venture with China’s ByteDance, giving each a 50% stake. His order would also confirm that “there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark” before his order.
“I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up. Without U.S. approval, there is no TikTok,” Trump said. “With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars — maybe trillions.”
Before its ban, the video-sharing platform had some 170 million users in the United States. It went dark late Saturday as users were prompted with a message indicating that the decision to pause its services to comply with the ban would be temporary.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!” the message said.
Trump has not always supported the platform. In fact, during his first term in office, the returning president vocally and specifically targeted TikTok amid escalating tensions between the United States and China.
In August 2020, Trump issued an executive order to ban TikTok in the United States unless it was sold to a U.S. company within 45 days. The following month he attempted to force ByteDance to divest from TikTok. At the time, companies like Microsoft and Oracle expressed interest in acquiring it.
Trump then attempted to ban TikTok from U.S. app stores but faced lawsuits from TikTok and content creators that delayed enforcing such bans, as he appeared to shift toward supporting an ownership stake model in late 2020. After President Joe Biden took office in 2021, he formally revoked the executive orders until signing the bill into law last April.
Meanwhile, TikTok played a significant role in the 2024 campaign cycle that saw Trump return to power. While both Trump and Kamala Harris used the platform to reach young voters, Trump’s strategy was particularly effective by collaborating with influencers like Adin Ross and Logan Paul, leading Trump to change his rhetoric ahead of the looming ban.
The ban went into effect Sunday, with services paused for TikTok users beginning late Saturday.