Trump dismisses TikTok national security concerns, proposes 50% cut in deal negotiations

During a press briefing in the Oval Office, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order to delay the ban on TikTok, granting an additional 75 days for discussions to preserve the app's presence in the U.S. The decision also instructed the attorney general to hold off on enforcing the ban.

When pressed by reporters about national security concerns linked to the app, Trump downplayed the risks, remarking, "TikTok is worthless if I don’t approve it. If I do the deal, it could be worth maybe a trillion dollars." He emphasized the need for significant U.S. ownership of the app but made no direct mention of the national security issues that initially prompted the ban during his first term.

Trump proposed that the U.S. should receive a substantial share of TikTok’s value, stating, "If I do the deal for the United States, then I think we should get half. That could be worth $500 billion or more." He also floated the idea of a "joint venture," though he did not clarify what that entailed.

When asked about TikTok's CEO’s stance on the matter, Trump said only that the CEO was "around." Additionally, he dismissed concerns about the app sharing user data with the Chinese government, drawing comparisons to other Chinese-manufactured products. "They make telephones and all sorts of things in China. Nobody ever complains about that. But here, they’re complaining about TikTok," he remarked.

Trump explained his change in perspective by admitting he had used the app himself, adding, "TikTok is largely about kids, young kids. If China is getting information about kids, honestly, I think we have bigger problems than that."

Notably, China sent Vice President Han Zheng to Trump’s inauguration, a departure from the tradition of sending an ambassador, underscoring the unique diplomatic dynamics at play.