WASHINGTON – United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday in an attempt to delay a ban on the popular short-video app TikTok for 75 days, Anadolu Agency reported.
According to the order, Trump is pursuing a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans.
“I think the US should be entitled to get half of TikTok,” he told reporters while signing executive orders after returning to the Oval Office.
Trump was sworn in for a second term, heralding a major shift in the US government that is widely expected to send shockwaves through American society and the world.
He said TikTok could be worth a trillion dollars.
“Essentially, with TikTok, I have the right to sell it or close it, and we’ll make that determination, and we may have to get approval from China too. I’m not sure, but I’m sure they’ll approve it,” he said.
He also said his administration will work on “a joint venture” between the US and undisclosed other entities.
“I think you have a lot of people that would be interested in TikTok with the United States as a partner,” he added.
On Friday, the US Supreme Court upheld a law that would ban TikTok unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, divests from the app.
After going offline earlier on Sunday, TikTok announced that it was in the process of restoring services to its US users following assurances from Trump. – January 21, 2025