Former President Donald Trump has expressed opposition to a potential ban on TikTok, arguing that such a move would benefit Facebook, which he called “a true Enemy of the People!” Trump claimed that banning TikTok would result in Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, doubling their business, a move he opposes.
Trump’s comments come as the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced legislation that seeks to crack down on TikTok. The bill, introduced by Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), would give TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, 165 days to sell the app or face a ban from app stores operated by Apple, Google, and others.
Trump (Credits: Variety)
The legislation has received support from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and President Biden has indicated he would sign it into law if it reaches his desk.
Biden previously signed the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, which banned the app from federal government devices and systems, citing concerns about data privacy and potential ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
ByteDance has denied sharing user data with the CCP, calling such claims “misinformation.” The company has criticized the legislation, arguing that it would result in a total ban of TikTok in the United States and infringe on Americans’ Constitutional right to free expression.
Trump has a history of supporting a ban on TikTok, having signed an executive order in 2020 that sought to force ByteDance to sell the app. However, the order was blocked in court, and Biden later revoked it, instead directing the Department of Commerce to assess whether TikTok poses a national security threat.
Meanwhile, billionaire hedge fund manager and GOP megadonor Jeff Yass has reportedly been calling Republican lawmakers to oppose the legislation seeking to ban TikTok. Yass’s fund has a significant stake in ByteDance, but a spokesman for Yass denied that he was personally making calls to GOP lawmakers.
