- TikTok is set to be banned in the United States on Sunday, one day before Trump becomes president.
- He’s pledged to save the app — and some Democrats hope he’s able to.
- “You’ve got to be supportive of anyone trying to keep it alive at this point,” one Democrat told BI.
With a TikTok ban appearing imminent, some Democratic lawmakers are suddenly finding themselves on the same page as President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump, despite his efforts to ban the app via executive order during his first administration, has pledged to “save” the app. He’s set to take office on Monday, one day after the ban is set to go into effect.
“Like a broken clock is right twice a day, Donald Trump might be right on this one,” Rep. Mark Pocan, a Wisconsin Democrat who’s long been outspoken against a ban, told BI. “I think you’ve got to be supportive of anyone trying to keep it alive at this point.”
“I would welcome the new administration figuring out a path forward so that TikTok can actually continue,” Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California, another longtime opponent of a ban, told BI.
Pocan and Garcia were among the 50 House Democrats who voted against a bill last March that required ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to sell the popular video-sharing app or face a ban amid national security concerns.
As Congress began to consider the bill, Trump came out against a ban, arguing that doing so would only benefit Meta. Congress ultimately passed the bill by a wide bipartisan vote and President Joe Biden signed it into law, setting January 19 as the deadline for a sale.
In the meantime, Trump positioned himself as a potential TikTok savior and established a campaign account on the platform. Late last month, Trump asked the Supreme Court to pause the ban until he takes office, though it appears likely that the court will allow it to move forward.
Trump is now considering taking executive action to halt the enforcement of a ban, according to multiple reports, though it’s unclear whether such a move would withstand a legal challenge.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Some business leaders with ties to Trump, including Elon Musk, have been floated as potential buyers.
“My guess is, he’s got a different motive than I do,” Pocan said. “Hopefully it’s not just to have some friend of his have the opportunity to purchase it or make money.”
Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida told BI that he hopes Trump can somehow prevent a ban, even if it’s “obviously not good for us politically if he saves TikTok.”
“If Joe Biden was the one to ban TikTok and Donald Trump was the one to save it, unfortunately, there’s a lot of young voters out there who that might be more important to them than other issues,” Frost said, adding that Trump would also be saving small businesses who rely on the app. “We warned about these things when the bill was being crafted.”
“I’ve had dozens and dozens of creators and small business owners reach out to me and say, ‘I’m going to lose my livelihood,” Garcia said. “I’m not sure that people understand how dependent some small businesses are on TikTok.”
Other Democrats appear to be grappling with the political implications of the looming ban as well.
On Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Democrats supported legislation to give ByteDance more time to sell TikTok.
“The law passed last year was intended to sever TikTok from the influence of the CCP while keeping the app available for Americans,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “It’s clear that more time is needed to find an American buyer and not disrupt the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans.”
Democratic senators tried to pass a bill to give ByteDance more time on Wednesday night via voice vote. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas objected, arguing that TikTok is harmful to children’s mental health, even aside from concerns about national security.
