Democratic Lawmakers Pin Hopes on Trump to Save TikTok from Ban

Madison: So, it looks like TikTok is about to get banned in the U.S. right before Trump takes office. He’s actually saying he wants to save it, and some Democrats are surprisingly on board with that idea. One Democrat even said we should support anyone trying to keep TikTok alive.

It’s kind of wild, right? Trump, who tried to ban the app before, is now positioning himself as its potential savior. He’s even set up a campaign account on TikTok. He’s asked the Supreme Court to pause the ban until he’s in office, but it seems like the court might let the ban happen anyway.

Some Democrats, like Rep. Mark Pocan from Wisconsin, are saying they’re okay with Trump stepping in. He mentioned that it’s good to support anyone trying to keep TikTok going. Another Democrat, Rep. Robert Garcia from California, echoed that sentiment, hoping the new administration can find a way for TikTok to stick around.

Interestingly, Pocan and Garcia were among the 50 House Democrats who voted against a bill last March that would have forced TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app. They were worried about national security, but now they’re in a bit of a pickle with this ban looming.

As Congress was debating the bill, Trump argued that banning TikTok would only help Meta, the parent company of Facebook. The bill passed anyway, and Biden signed it, giving ByteDance a deadline to sell TikTok by January 19.

Now, Trump is reportedly thinking about taking executive action to stop the ban, but it’s unclear if that would hold up in court. Some business leaders close to Trump, like Elon Musk, are even being mentioned as potential buyers for TikTok.

Rep. Maxwell Frost from Florida said he hopes Trump can prevent the ban, even if it’s not great for Democrats politically. He pointed out that if Trump saves TikTok, it could sway young voters, which is a big deal.

Garcia shared that many small business owners are worried about losing their livelihoods if TikTok gets banned. He’s been hearing from creators who depend on the app for their income.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also weighed in, saying Democrats want to give ByteDance more time to find a buyer. He emphasized that the law was meant to cut ties with the Chinese government while keeping TikTok available for Americans.

But not everyone is on board. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton from Arkansas objected to giving more time, arguing that TikTok is harmful to kids’ mental health, aside from the national security issues. It’s a complicated situation, and it’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.