Trump suggests he might retain TikTok 'for a little while'
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he might permit TikTok to keep operating in the United States.
TroibNews 
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump hinted on Sunday that he may permit TikTok to continue operating in the United States. During an event organized by the conservative group Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump noted that the widely-used video-sharing app might have played a role in connecting with critical voters during the presidential election and acknowledged the possibility of allowing TikTok to remain "for a little while."
"I think we're going to have to start thinking because, you know, we did go on TikTok, and we had a great response with billions of views, billions and billions of views," Trump shared with the audience at AmericaFest, an annual gathering hosted by Turning Point.
"They brought me a chart, and it was a record, and it was so beautiful to see, and as I looked at it, I said, 'Maybe we gotta keep this sucker around for a little while'," he added.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to evaluate a request from TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, to halt a law mandating the sale of the app by Jan. 19 or face a national security-related ban.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on January 10 regarding the law's potential violation of freedom of speech as outlined in the First Amendment.
This ruling follows TikTok's recent petition for an injunction against the law, claiming that the ban would eliminate a vital communication platform for millions of Americans just before a presidential inauguration, and "silence the speech of Applicants and the many Americans who use the platform to communicate about politics, commerce, arts, and other matters of public concern."
Earlier this year, in April, President Joe Biden signed a law that gives ByteDance a 270-day timeframe to divest TikTok, citing unsubstantiated national security concerns. If the company does not comply, app store operators like Apple and Google would be required to remove TikTok from their platforms.
In May, TikTok initiated legal action against the U.S. government in an effort to prevent the impending ban, which has faced significant backlash.
In early December, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. dismissed TikTok's assertion that the ban is unconstitutional.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
"I think we're going to have to start thinking because, you know, we did go on TikTok, and we had a great response with billions of views, billions and billions of views," Trump shared with the audience at AmericaFest, an annual gathering hosted by Turning Point.
"They brought me a chart, and it was a record, and it was so beautiful to see, and as I looked at it, I said, 'Maybe we gotta keep this sucker around for a little while'," he added.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to evaluate a request from TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, to halt a law mandating the sale of the app by Jan. 19 or face a national security-related ban.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on January 10 regarding the law's potential violation of freedom of speech as outlined in the First Amendment.
This ruling follows TikTok's recent petition for an injunction against the law, claiming that the ban would eliminate a vital communication platform for millions of Americans just before a presidential inauguration, and "silence the speech of Applicants and the many Americans who use the platform to communicate about politics, commerce, arts, and other matters of public concern."
Earlier this year, in April, President Joe Biden signed a law that gives ByteDance a 270-day timeframe to divest TikTok, citing unsubstantiated national security concerns. If the company does not comply, app store operators like Apple and Google would be required to remove TikTok from their platforms.
In May, TikTok initiated legal action against the U.S. government in an effort to prevent the impending ban, which has faced significant backlash.
In early December, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. dismissed TikTok's assertion that the ban is unconstitutional.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
