It seems that TikTok is looking to lean into the vanities of President-elect Donald Trump, with Trump sharing this graphic, which appears to have been put together by TikTok, highlighting his performance in the app.
Trump’s post, shared on his own social media app Truth Social, was accompanied by the caption: “Why would I want to get rid of TikTok?”
The update echoes Trump’s previous endorsements of the app, which he originally sought to force into a sell-off himself during his first term, back in 2020.
But more recently, Trump has expressed his support for the app, noting that he’s now a “big star” on TikTok, and that as such, he sees no reason to get rid of it.
Which, of course, has nothing to do with the national security concerns that prompted U.S. senators to endorse the TikTok sell-off bill. But clearly, TikTok’s hoping that by appealing to Trump’s ego, and showcasing just how big of a star he is in the app, that will help to prompt Trump’s efforts to save it, thus enabling it to avoid removal from the U.S.
Which is set to happen later this month, with TikTok given till January 19th to enact a sale to a U.S. company, or face a ban in the nation. Trump’s team has already filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court to extend this deadline, in order to give Trump time to explore other outcomes after he’s inaugurated on January 20th. That plea hasn’t been approved as yet, but theoretically at least, that could still provide a lifeline for the app, if Trump feels passionately enough to oppose the original Senate-approved bill.
Though even then, his avenues for doing so are limited. But still, with the deadline fast approaching, TikTok’s clearly pinning at least some hope in Trump taking executive action, and saving it from being booted out of the U.S. entirely.
The most likely outcome, then, could be that TikTok is returned to the U.S. at a later stage, after the Trump team has had a chance to negotiate a new deal. How that would be structured remains to be seen, but right now, it seems unlikely that Trump will have the time to be able to take action in TikTok’s favor to avoid immediate action.
But TikTok will likely be back, even if it is erased from U.S. app stores for a period.
And with Trump having such a strong presence in the app, you can bet that it will remain front of mind for him, and he takes office later this month.
