President Donald Trump has expressed his openness to the idea of Elon Musk purchasing TikTok during remarks from the White House. When asked if he would support the tech mogul acquiring the app, Trump responded affirmatively. He emphasized the importance of securing a US government permit for the social media platform, stating that without it, TikTok is essentially 'worthless'.
Trump claimed to have met with the major stakeholders of the app and outlined a potential deal that could see TikTok's value skyrocket to 'a trillion dollars' if the necessary permits were granted by the US government. He proposed a scenario where someone buys TikTok and gives half of it to the United States, in exchange for the permit.
According to Trump, this strategic partnership with the US government would make TikTok more valuable in the long run, ensuring its profitability and success. Following his inauguration, Trump issued an executive order delaying the enforcement of a law that would ban TikTok in the US unless it is sold to an American buyer or an ally within 75 days.
Trump has hinted at the possibility of an American buyer acquiring half of TikTok and operating it as a 50-50 joint venture with its current Chinese owner, ByteDance. This move is seen as a way to address national security concerns while keeping the popular social media platform operational in the US.
