Both Speaker Johnson and President-elect Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are both saying this morning that Trump is trying to save TikTok after it went dark last night.
Waltz said they are literally working in real time to ensure Trump can pause the ban tomorrow:
Mike Waltz talking TikTok on @CNNSOTU: “We’re working, literally real time, working with the various tech companies to get it back online and buy [Trump] some time to, one, save it, but protect Americans’ data and protect Americans from any type of foreign interference.” pic.twitter.com/bAPU4QEADd
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 19, 2025
Speaker Johnson says that President Trump is working on a true divestiture so that they can comply with the law and get the pause needed to save it. He points out that Kevin O’Leary has an offer on the table that Trump likes:
Speaker Johnson: We Will Enforce TikTok Ban
“We will enforce the law… It’s not the platform that members of Congress are concerned about. It’s the Chinese Communist party and their manipulation of the algorithms.” pic.twitter.com/V5ucAJ6EOa
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) January 19, 2025
Speaker Mike Johnson: “@kevinolearytv and maybe even @elonmusk and others have talked about buying [TikTok]. I think Kevin O’Leary has an offer on the table. President Trump is intrigued by this and he likes to make deals.” pic.twitter.com/xW2nPKPHZx
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) January 19, 2025
As I was typing this Trump posted this on Truth Social regarding the sale of TikTok:
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. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.
Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations.
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 Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions.
Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose.
