The nominee for U.S. National Security Advisor, Congressman Mike Waltz, stated in an interview on Wednesday that President-elect Donald Trump is considering alternatives to prevent the closure of TikTok.
Waltz made this comment when asked by Fox News reporter Bret Baier about a report from The Washington Post suggesting that Trump was considering issuing an executive order to suspend the enforcement of a federal law that could ban the TikTok platform in the United States as of January 19.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments last week in a legal challenge presented by TikTok against a law that could lead to the platform’s ban in the United States. The arguments were put forth by the parent company, ByteDance, based in China, and users of the platform.
It appears that the Supreme Court members will not strike down the federal law, which requires ByteDance to divest from the TikTok platform for national security reasons 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 platform that is widely used by many Americans and has played a good role in conveying his campaign message. Secondly, he will protect their data,” Waltz said.
“He is known for making deals. I don’t want to preempt executive orders, but we will create space to reach a deal,” he added.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi, avoided a question during a Senate confirmation hearing on whether she would support the law banning TikTok.
However, Trump has shifted his stance on the popular app after attempting to ban the platform during his first term in the White House due to national security concerns.
During the last presidential campaign, Trump and his team used TikTok to engage younger audiences, particularly male voters, with posts that spread widely on the platform. He pledged during the campaign to “save TikTok” while stating that the social network helped him gain more votes among young people. /VOA
