On December 23, it was reported that US President-elect Donald Trump said he was in favor of TikTok continuing to operate in the US, at least for a while.
Speaking to conservative supporters in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump is understood to have indicated that he may support allowing TikTok to continue operating in the United States, at least for now. Trump also highlighted the success of the platform during the presidential campaign, claiming that the platform garnered billions of views. Trump joined TikTok in June and has since amassed 14.7 million followers.
Trump's latest statement is one of the strongest signals yet that he opposes TikTok's withdrawal from the US market. While ByteDance and TikTok have been trying hard to overturn the bill, and the US Supreme Court has agreed to hear it, if the court rules against ByteDance and ByteDance does not divest, TikTok could still be banned in the US on January 19, the day before Trump's inauguration.
Analysts said it was unclear what Trump would do with the bill, which was overwhelmingly passed by the Senate. The issue is likely to face pressure in Congress, particularly from lawmakers who support the divestiture bill. As the presidency does not take effect until January 20, Trump is currently unable to issue policies through speeches or social media posts.
