Two Republican members of Missouri’s congressional delegation are deferring to President Trump on what to do about TikTok.
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley has been working for years to get the app banned in the United States because it’s owned by ByteDance, a company based in China. But Hawley told Missourinet that he hopes TikTok will be sold to an American buyer.
“I think President Trump wants to get a deal to sell the company. Listen, I’m all for that,” Hawley said. “That would be the best outcome is that somebody who is not controlled by China buys Tiktok and continues to operate it in the United States. I’m fine with that. That’s exactly what the law provides for.”
Still, TikTok’s future presence in the U.S. remains in limbo. The app went dark for about 15 hours before coming back online on Sunday, Jan. 19th, in response to a new law that banned its use in the U.S.
President Trump issued an executive order after taking office Jan. 20th that delays the ban on TikTok by 75 days in order to allow more time to find an American buyer. Fellow Republican and Third District Missouri Congressman Bob Onder agrees with Trump’s executive order.
“Obviously, it’s a very popular app,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of bad stuff on that particular app, but the question with the TikTok bill that passed in the last Congress is, is this being used as a tool for Chinese espionage — Chinese spying on American citizens?”
Meanwhile, NBC News reports that Trump wanted to ban TikTok during his first term, but that he’s now “cozying up” to TikTok’s CEO, who was at last week’s inauguration ceremony.
Before Biden left office, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer asked Biden for a 90-day extension on banning TikTok.
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