TikTok, the popular video app owned by ByteDance, has found an unexpected ally in former U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump recently expressed opposition to a potential national ban on TikTok, not on First Amendment grounds, but because he believes such a ban would benefit Meta's Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.
Trump's comments were made on Truth Social, a social media platform he is associated with. He referred to Zuckerberg as 'Zuckerschmuck' and claimed that banning TikTok would lead to a significant increase in business for Facebook. Trump accused Facebook of 'cheating' in the last election and labeled them as an 'Enemy of the People'.
During his presidency, Trump had attempted to force ByteDance to sell its stake in TikTok due to national security concerns over its Chinese ties. However, this effort was blocked by federal courts. A recent bill has been proposed that would require ByteDance to divest its interest in TikTok within 165 days or face a ban in the U.S.
Trump's remarks on TikTok and Facebook came amidst his criticisms of President Joe Biden, with whom he may potentially face off in the 2024 presidential election. It remains unclear what Trump meant by accusing Facebook of 'cheating' in the 2020 election.
Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, is operated by Trump Media & Technology Group, which is seeking to merge with Digital World Acquisition Corp. The merger is set for a shareholder vote on March 22, with Trump's stake in TMTG potentially valued at up to $4 billion through the deal.
