His camp says it is exploring options to “create space to put an agreement in place” after the media report on the draft decree.
Donald Trump is exploring options to save Chinese video app TikTok from a nationwide ban, according to one of his top advisers.
Mike Waltz, who is expected to become Trump’s national security adviser, confirmed Wednesday that Trump was exploring options to “preserve” the app after a Washington Post report claimed he was considering an executive order to block the app of a federal ban in January. 19.
“We’re going to find a way to preserve them while protecting people’s data,” Waltz said in an interview with Fox News. “I don’t want to preempt our executive orders, but we’re going to create that space to put this agreement in place.”
The Washington Post report, which cited anonymous sources, said Trump, who officially takes office a day after the TikTok ban took effect, would issue an executive order suspending its enforcement for 60 to 90 days.
The report does not offer details on the legal ramifications of the move, which would likely buy the administration time to negotiate a sale or alternative solution.
Reports of the plan emerged as the Supreme Court considered oral arguments in a bipartisan legal challenge to the status brought by TikTok, its China-based parent company ByteDance, and the app’s users.
At the time of writing, the judges appeared likely to uphold the law, which requires ByteDance to divest TikTok for national security reasons or face a ban on new downloads on the Apple or Google app stores on one of its largest markets.
Trump, who attempted to ban TikTok during his first term on national security grounds, changed his mind during his 2024 presidential campaign, pledging to “save” the app, which he credits with helped him attract the youth vote.
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.
A report on NBC says the Biden administration has been evaluating options for keeping the social media platform available to users beyond Sunday, with the goal of deferring the ban decision to Trump.
“Americans should not expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday,” an administration official told the outlet.
