Former President, who threatened to ban the popular app himself, now claims that doing so would only be beneficial to competitors like Facebook.
The former president, who once threatened to ban the popular social media app himself, now says that doing so would only benefit competitors like Facebook. The former president, who once threatened to ban the popular social media app himself, now says that doing so would only benefit competitors like Facebook.
Former President, who threatened to ban the popular app himself, now claims that doing so would only be beneficial to competitors like Facebook.
LOADINGERROR LOADING. WASHINGTON ― Former President Donald Trump raised concerns over efforts to ban the social media app TikTok this week, appearing to walk back the position he held in 2020, when he threatened to ban the app himself.. “If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business,” the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee wrote on his social media platform on Thursday, referring to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.. Advertisement. Trump said he didn’t want Facebook to “d[o] better,” calling the company “a true Enemy of the People.”. The Republican-controlled House is set to vote on a bill next week that would ban the video platform, now used by over 100 million Americans, if its Chinese parent company ByteDance fails to divest its ownership within six months or so.. The legislation was approved by a rare 50-0 vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee this week, despite a last-minute lobbying effort by TikTok that urged users to call lawmakers’ offices in protest.. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle worry TikTok poses a threat to U.S. national security because of its ties to Beijing. They also have concerns with its data privacy given its popularity with young users, many of whom are minors.. Advertisement. “If you value your personal freedom and privacy online, if you care about America’s national security at home, and, yes, even if you want TikTok to stick around in the United States — this bill offers the only real step towards each of these goals,” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), the chair of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and one of the authors of the legislation, said this week.. It’s not clear why Trump appeared to reconsider his position on banning TikTok. Some commentators noted he recently hosted GOP megadonor Jeff Yass, who is a billionaire investor in ByteDance, at his Mar-a-Lago club and sought his support in the presidential race.. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), an outspoken China critic and supporter of Trump, said he disagreed with the former president’s comments about TikTok.. “I’m not a fan of Facebook, but TikTok is a qualitatively different deal. It’s a backdoor for the Communist Chinese party,” Hawley said Friday.. Meanwhile, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), another populist Trump ally in the Senate, said Congress should also focus on regulating tech media companies broadly “as opposed to carving out just one of them.”. Advertisement. “I think we ought to do something about TikTok, but I think we also ought to do something about Google,” Vance added.. President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday that he would sign the legislation if it reaches his desk, but it first must clear both chambers of Congress. In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said similar legislation “should be looked at,” though he didn’t offer a commitment to bring it to the floor during an ABC News interview last month.. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) also criticized a potential ban on TikTok, citing concerns with free speech.. “If Congress bans TikTok, they will be acting just like the Chinese communists who have also banned TikTok,” Paul wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Why not just defend the first amendment?”. Support HuffPost. Our 2024 Coverage Needs You. Your Loyalty Means The World To Us. At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.. 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Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.. Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.. Dear HuffPost Reader. Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.. The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?. Dear HuffPost Reader. Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.. The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.. Support HuffPost. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.. Related. TikTok. 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