President Donald Trump, in one of many initial official acts, signed an executive order on Monday after his inauguration that directs the Justice Department to refrain from enforcing a ban on TikTok.
The order, which lasts for 75 days, appears to be part of an attempt by Trump to save the fate of the platform in the United States after now-former President Joe Biden signed legislation last year that was banned a day before Trump took office.
“In one of his first actions in office, Trump is prioritizing saving a platform that he says has been friendly to him,” Axios reported.
“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,” according to the outlet.
Speaking to reporters Monday night from the Oval Office, Trump said there is a potential deal in the works where the U.S. would get half ownership in the platform with TikTok keeping the other half as “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,” he said of the China-owned video platform.
“Every rich person has called me about TikTok,” Trump said regarding the fate of the platform when he was asked if a private U.S. company could get 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.”
To meet the requirements of qualified divestiture under the law, Trump would need to consult with relevant government agencies to confirm that TikTok is no longer under Chinese control, according to Axios. For that to happen, he would have to ensure that China no longer controls TikTok’s algorithm or data sharing.
The law Biden signed explicitly disallows any Chinese entity from continuing to be involved in any way with TikTok, even via an agreement with an American company.
The law also requires Trump to certify to Congress that there has been “significant progress” toward completing a qualified divestiture and that “binding legal agreements” are in place to facilitate the sale within the extension period.
In another administration news, Trump’s first Cabinet official was confirmed Monday evening by the Senate on a unanimous vote of 99-0. Senators confirmed one of their former colleagues, Marco Rubio of Florida, to become the next secretary of state.
Rubio will play a key role in fulfilling many of Trump’s most ambitious campaign pledges, including putting a stop to the conflict in Ukraine, thwarting China’s expanding might, and enacting a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Since 2011, the 53-year-old Floridian has been a member of the Senate. Before withdrawing and supporting Trump, he was a presidential candidate in 2016. He was on Trump’s shortlist for vice president in 2024.
Rubio is a well-known China hawk who is against restoring relations with Communist-controlled Cuba, where his parents hail from.
One of the biggest foreign policy difficulties facing the Trump administration will be dealing with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which will begin its fourth year next month.
In all, Trump will sign more than 200 executive actions, a vast first wave of policy priorities centered on energy, border security, lowering the cost of living for American families, terminating DEI programs throughout the federal government, and more.
“The president is issuing a historic series of executive orders and actions that will fundamentally reform the American government, including the complete and total restoration of American sovereignty,” an official told Fox News.
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