US President-elect Donald Trump has suggested that TikTok may continue to operate in the United States for the time being, despite ongoing efforts to ban the app over national security concerns.
Speaking at an event hosted by Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 22, Trump acknowledged the app’s potential role in engaging key voters during the presidential election.
“We did go on TikTok, and we had a great response. We had billions and billions of views,” Trump told the crowd, noting that he had been shown a chart illustrating the massive reach his campaign achieved on the platform.
This comment has raised questions about the future of the app in the US, especially considering the growing pressure for a national security review of TikTok’s operations.
READ ALSO: Luigi Mangione Pleads Not Guilty to Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
The video-sharing app, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, is at the center of a legal battle regarding its future in the US.
Earlier in December, the US Supreme Court agreed to review a request from TikTok and ByteDance to block a law that could force the app to sell its US operations by January 19, or face a complete ban.
The Court will hear arguments on January 10 about whether this law violates the First Amendment by limiting freedom of speech.
In April, President Joe Biden signed a law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok within 270 days due to concerns about the app’s ties to China.
If the law stands, app stores like Apple and Google would be required to remove TikTok from their platforms.
TikTok has argued that such a ban would silence millions of American users who rely on the app for political, artistic, and commercial communication.
Despite legal challenges, TikTok’s future in the US remains uncertain as it faces mounting pressure from the government.