Donald Trump, the winner of the 2024 U.S. election, mentioned that he may attempt to save TikTok from the upcoming ban. In early 2024, congress agreed on a bipartisan bill to ban the mega-popular social media app TikTok unless ByteDance, its parent company, sells it by January 19, 2025.
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Trump Willing To Stop TikTok Ban Over Election Results
This ban erupted due to concerns about security against the Chinese government and its access to user data in America. TikTok has around 170 million accounts from the U.S. which would be a detriment to the people who rely on the app. This is whether they watch for funny and informative clips, or post videos as a way to make an income.
Now Trump has claimed that he may intervene in the ban due to his election results and how TikTok may have affected them. "We'll take a look at TikTok," Trump stated in Mar-a-Lago while speaking to a reporter.
"I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points," he continued. "There are those who say TikTok had something to do with that."
So far, TikTok hasn't made any statements or willingness to sell its stakes to the U.S. despite the ban date being nearly a month away.
The president-elect also credited podcast hosts such as Joe Rogan for his win, all thanks to his 18-year-old son Barron Trump.
"Joe Rogan did and some of the other people that were recommended by my son Barron," Trump explained. "He knew names. I said 'Who is that? Tell me, who's that?'"
Trump recalled how shocked his son was for not knowing who Joe Rogan was, the well-known American podcaster and comedian. He then mentioned the interviews he did with Joe Rogan, and how much they had an impact on election results.
According to data, the youth ended up favoring Kamala Harris by four points. This led to 51% of youth voting for Harris, and 47% voting for Trump. Despite not winning the youth over Harris, he still credited TikTok and podcasters for aiding him during the election.
Interestingly, Trump initially attempted to ban the short-form video app in 2020 when he deemed it a national security threat. Now he is doing a 180 and thinking about stopping the block.
We'll have to wait and see if the president-elect can save the beloved social media app. Otherwise, TikTok doesn't seem to be on the winning side. The U.S. Court of Appeals rejected TikTok's emergency appeal to temporarily block the law planning to ban them.
