Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, mentioned in an interview on Wednesday that President-elect is considering ways to “preserve” TikTok.
During an interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, Waltz responded to a report from The Washington Post that suggested Trump was contemplating an executive order to halt the enforcement of a federal law that might lead to a nationwide ban of the popular platform by the upcoming Sunday.
Last week, the Supreme Court listened to oral arguments in a legal dispute involving the statute, which was challenged by TikTok, its Chinese parent company ByteDance, and the app’s users. The Justices appeared inclined to support the law, which mandates ByteDance to sell off TikTok on the grounds of national security or face a ban in one of its key markets.
“If the Supreme Court comes out with a ruling in favor of the law, President Trump has been very clear: Number one, TikTok is a great platform that many Americans use and has been great for his campaign and getting his message out. But number two, he’s going to protect their data,” Waltz said.
“He’s a deal maker. I don’t want to get ahead of our executive orders, but we’re going to create this space to put that deal in place,” he added.
Separately on Wednesday, Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, dodged a question during a Senate hearing on whether she’d uphold a TikTok ban.
Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He pledged to “save TikTok” during the campaign and has credited the platform with helping him win more youth votes.
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