Trump explores options to ‘preserve’ TikTok, says Mike Waltz

Trump’s chosen national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, said in an interview Wednesday that the president-elect is exploring options to “preserve” TikTok.

Waltz made the comment when Fox News anchor Bret Baier asked him about a Washington Post report that Trump was considering an executive order to suspend enforcement of a federal law that could ban the popular platform nationwide. country by Sunday.

Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a legal challenge to the law brought by TikTok, its China-based parent company ByteDance, and users of the app. The judges appeared likely to uphold the law, which requires ByteDance to divest TikTok on national security grounds or face a ban in one of its largest markets.

“If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the law, President Trump has been very clear: First, TikTok is a great platform that many Americans use and has been great for his campaign and spreading his message. But secondly, it’s going to protect their data,” Waltz said.

“He’s a negotiator. I don’t want to anticipate our decrees, but we will create this space to put this agreement in place,” he added.

On Wednesday, Pam Bondi, Trump’s attorney general pick, dodged a question during a Senate hearing about whether she would uphold the ban on TikTok.

Trump reversed his stance on the popular app, after trying to ban it during his first term on national security grounds. He joined TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign, and his team used it to connect with young voters, particularly male voters, by spreading content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He pledged to “save TikTok” during the campaign and credited the platform with helping him win more youth votes.