
Donald Trump has ‘saved’ TikTok from the ban he’s been boasting was his idea in the first place – 18 best reactions
At the weekend, the deadline came and went for TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, to sell the company and avoid a ban in the U.S., and the video-sharing site went dark for its American users.
Tiktok has been banned in the US on the grounds that China could use it "to manipulate and control Americans by spreading propaganda and misinformation." In other words, China *might do* exactly what Elon Musk *has done* with X.
It's a blatant double standard.— George Monbiot (@GeorgeMonbiot) January 17, 2025
Elon Musk harvesting your X data:
China harvesting your TikTok data:
— Dale Vince (@DaleVince) January 19, 2025
Nothing is more American than banning TikTok before AR-15s pic.twitter.com/fbXygCyZaC
— David Leavitt ♂️ (@David_Leavitt) January 17, 2025
Oddly enough, under the terms of the ban, it merely needed to be removed from app stores and for updates and repairs to be unavailable in the U.S., but it was only down for a matter of hours before being brought back, thanks to an intervention by Donald Trump.
STATEMENT FROM TIKTOK:
In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170…
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) January 19, 2025
He addressed it on Truth Social.
TikTok users were obviously relieved …and concerned.
BREAKING: TikTok is back online in the US!!
— Dean Withers (@itsdeaann) January 19, 2025
Yall really want to go back to TikTok when the CEO is basically going to be in bed with the new administration. TikTok won’t be what it once was. #TikTok pic.twitter.com/ATcuGZNtrm
— K E M P I R E (@TheKempire) January 19, 2025
There was only one problem. Well, one huge problem.
Less than 2 years ago. Trump bragging that he tried to ban TikTok 3 years before but Democrats stopped him. pic.twitter.com/hTmvxAoc4Z
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 19, 2025
Reminder: On August 6, 2020 Trump signed an executive order to ban TikTok. pic.twitter.com/1aY5UsoqUU
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) January 19, 2025
There were even clips …
A montage of Trump repeatedly bragging about banning TikTok is now surfacing online.
Can’t make this up. pic.twitter.com/ilIpiXIPkm
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) January 19, 2025
Luckily for Trump, his army of MAGA sycophants changed their attitude to the app in line with His Orange Majesty.
Every single conservative is like this pic.twitter.com/Aa3tQfey1D
— evan loves worf (@esjesjesj) January 19, 2025
Convenient. The internet wasn’t buying any of it.
1.
They shut down their own app for a day, then turned it back on thanking Trump. What an obvious scam this was. Disgusting on the part of the Tik Tok owners, Trump, and all his sycophants who reversed their positions on it one second after he did for no reason other than he did. pic.twitter.com/ygeoYWp2DU
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 19, 2025
2.
TikTok users in the US are now seeing this message, in which the social media platform gives the man who started the effort to ban the app in the first place credit for 'saving it' pic.twitter.com/96KK3waBGc
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 19, 2025
3.
Trump hated TikTok (because China) until it helped him win an election (as even he acknowledges) and now he’s going to save it and take a victory lap. So he’ll have X, TikTok, Insta, and Facebook all working on his behalf. That’s a big difference between now and 2017.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 19, 2025
4.
Absolutely Wild pic.twitter.com/wbRQGRN8TR
— Otto English (@Otto_English) January 19, 2025
5.
So MAGA is clapping like seals because a Chinese company is currently violating a U.S. law passed by the overwhelming majority of Republicans after screeching about China for almost a decade?
This tracks.
— Art Candee (@ArtCandee) January 19, 2025
6.
The TikTok ban: pic.twitter.com/9AudZTd6Km
— kira (@kirawontmiss) January 19, 2025
7.
This shake down of TikTok is Trump’s long con.
Trump started the TikTok ban, but has now flipped-flopped to play the hero while looking to enrich new owners (his donors).
There is nothing in this post about protecting American’s data, Trump’s original justification for the ban. pic.twitter.com/ATPdCxyRSn
— PatriotTakes (@patriottakes) January 19, 2025
8.
To all the young people who think Joe Biden is to blame for the TikTok ban: pic.twitter.com/yRYm057ymV
— Dream for America (@DreamAmerica_) January 19, 2025
9.
LMAO this TikTok ban is nothing but a stunt for Trump to come in and “lift” and pretend he did something for us. Stop falling for this crap please. pic.twitter.com/lbgTcvxAla
— Andrew—New YouTube Channel @LiveFromTheResistance (@AmoneyResists) January 19, 2025
10.
It is impossible to overstate just how beyond the pale fucked up this is. https://t.co/iJkG1oXXXj
— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) January 19, 2025
11.
This alone is a good reason to ban TikTok pic.twitter.com/Ynr25WkGVZ
— Slazac (@TrueSlazac) January 19, 2025
12.
And just like that, everyone forgot that Donald Trump created the TikTok problem in the first place after teenagers made him look dumb en masse.
Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are bigger threats to America’s national security than TikTok and China. pic.twitter.com/RKm1HEWN9E
— Ryan Shead (@RyanShead) January 19, 2025
13.
As Trump prepares to "save" TikTok, let's not forget all of this started because Trump wanted to ban TikTok during his first term.
He breaks it. Then he takes credit for fixing it.
Trump's entire life can be summarized in this manner. pic.twitter.com/jKKJYvMCC6
— Pastor Ben (@BenjaminPDixon) January 18, 2025
14.
Trump set the TikTok ban in motion
Congress passed legislation
Biden signs legislation
SCOTUS upholds ban
Biden says his administration wouldn’t enforce the law, leaving room for TikTok to stay open
TikTok shuts down anyway
Trump tweets
TikTok pretends Trump saved it
— Angry Staffer (@Angry_Staffer) January 19, 2025
15.
An executive order cannot supersede a statute. Congress has found ByteDance a danger to national security and SCOTUS has upheld it. Trump’s job as of noon tomorrow is to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” That means enforcing the ban until ByteDance sells TikTok. pic.twitter.com/DGMmTKrffr
— Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) January 19, 2025
16.
Reminder that TikTok didn’t have to shut down today. The bill prohibited downloads and external maintenance, not use, and Biden already said he wouldn’t enforce a ban.
They shut down today solely to help Trump and the Republican Party.
— Skyler Johnson (@SkylerforNY) January 19, 2025
17.
https://t.co/v4x8yZ23wZ pic.twitter.com/FlMdmzcW9m
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) January 19, 2025
18.
This is America. We have a constitutional separation of powers. Congress passed law saying TikTok must be sold or banned, now Trump says ignore the law, my new tech friends will turn you back on. Which laws are next to be disregarded? This is America, speak truth to power. https://t.co/KjVWYqbgkB
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) January 19, 2025
Of course, with the U.S. one of the top five countries for tech innoation, it does beg the question –
China can create knockoffs of American products in a matter of months but in years and years of this talk of banning TikTok, nobody in the U.S. could create a viable knockoff replacement for it?
— Art Candee (@ArtCandee) January 19, 2025
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