Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
President Trump on Monday issued an executive order that would direct the attorney general not to enforce a ban on TikTok for 75 days.
Why it matters: In one of his first actions in office, Trump is prioritizing saving a platform that he says has been friendly to him.
What's inside: During the 75 days, the Department of Justice is directed to take no action to enforce the law or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the law, the executive order says.
What they're saying: Speaking in the Oval Office Monday night, Trump said a deal where the U.S. gets half of TikTok and TikTok keeps the other half is "one of many ideas."
- "If I do the deal for the United States, then I think we should get half. I think the U.S. should be entitled to get half of TikTok and congratulations, TikTok has a good partner."
- "Every rich person has called me about TikTok," Trump said when asked if a private company would be involved.
- If China does not approve the deal "it would be somewhat of a hostile act," Trump said, adding that his administration could impose tariffs on China if the country got in the way of a "good deal."
For Trump to satisfy a qualified divestiture under the law, he would have to consult with government agencies and determine TikTok is no longer controlled by China.
- That means making sure it's impossible for China to still control TikTok's algorithm or data sharing.
- The law has detailed provisions against ownership by an entity "controlled by a foreign adversary."
- A Chinese company can only be involved if it has less than a 20 percent stake in the business.
- The law also states that Trump would need to certify to Congress not only that there's been "significant progress" toward executing a qualified divestiture, but there are "binding legal agreements" in place to enable the sale during the extension period.
Catch up quick: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to block the law to ban TikTok.
- The executive order follows a rollercoaster of a weekend where CEO Shou Zi Chew chose to make TikTok go dark and then reinstated it the following day, crediting Trump.
- None of TikTok's actions were necessary under the law, which instead only required Google, Apple, and other web hosting services to stop carrying the app.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include additional language from the sale-or-ban law.
