Donald Trump’s New Adviser Mike Waltz Hints at TikTok Deal

• Donald Trump is exploring options to keep TikTok alive in the U.S., according to his chosen advisor, Mike Waltz.
• Recent reports have suggested Trump was considering deploying an executive order to delay the ban.
• The looming law has divided opinion between Trump and his allies.

Donald Trump’s upcoming national security advisor, Mike Waltz, has claimed the President-elect is exploring options to stop TikTok’s impending ban.

The comments come after the Supreme Court heard final oral arguments last week regarding ByteDance divesting TikTok to a U.S. company or facing a nationwide ban.

Trump Exploring TikTok Options

During an interview with Fox News , Waltz said that Trump, the “deal maker,” was exploring ways to “preserve” the popular video-sharing app.

“If the Supreme Court comes out with a ruling in favor of the law, President Trump has been very clear: Number one, TikTok is a great platform that many Americans use and has been great for his campaign and getting his message out,” Waltz said.

“Number two, he’s going to protect their data,” he added.

Waltz was responding to a question about a Washington Post report claiming that Trump was considering an executive order to suspend the enforcement of the ban.

“He’s a deal maker,” Waltz said. “I don’t want to get ahead of our executive orders, but we’re going to create this space to put that deal in place.”

Trump’s TikTok Reversal

On Monday, Dec. 16, Trump said in a press conference that he had a “warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” shortly after meeting with the platform’s CEO Shou Zi Chew at Mar-a-Lago.

The comments marked a surprising turn for the President-elect, who had previously attempted to block the application during his first term in office.

However, Trump’s foray into the world of TikTok content during his campaign trail will likely play a big role in his change of heart.

“I think we’re going to have to start thinking because, you know, we did go on TikTok, and we had a great response with billions of views, billions and billions of views,” Trump said on stage at Conservative gathering AmericaFest.

Adding: “They brought me a chart, and it was a record, and it was so beautiful to see, and as I looked at it, I said, ‘Maybe we gotta keep this sucker around for a little while.'”

Trump joined free speech activists in calling for a delay to the deadline, which currently stands on Sunday, Jan. 20, just one day before the President-elect’s inauguration.

“President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office,” Trump’s lawyer, John Sauer, wrote in a filing.

TikTok Ban Likely To Be Delayed?

As recent reports have stated, Trump and his team are considering deploying an executive order that would delay enforcement of the ban for up to 90 days.

This would provide the President-elect with more time to explore options for keeping the platform active while remaining in the U.S.

As a broader show of support, TikTok CEO Chew has been invited to attend Trump’s inauguration and will sit “in a position of honor.”

However, reports have also suggested that the Biden administration is also considering pulling the breaks on the outright ban.

U.S. broadcaster NBC reported that the government was deliberating on keeping the platform active after the deadline to hand over the decision to Trump.

“Americans shouldn’t expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday,” an administration official told NBC.