President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order delaying enforcement of a federal ban on TikTok for 75 days, despite the law having already taken effect the previous day. The decision signals the administration’s attempt to chart a new course forward while grappling with national security concerns and the platform’s cultural significance.
The federal law, signed by former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. after bipartisan support in Congress, mandated TikTok’s divestiture from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by January 19, or face an outright ban. The law, upheld by the Supreme Court as recently as Friday, had forced TikTok offline temporarily, and it vanished from app stores over the weekend.
President Trump’s executive order, one of his earliest actions after taking office, instructs the attorney general to withhold enforcement of the ban, ostensibly to allow time for a resolution balancing national security with the app’s wide-reaching impact. “the U.S. should be entitled to get half of TikTok” if a deal for the app is reached, without going into detail. He said he thought TikTok could be worth a trillion dollars,” Trump remarked ambiguously while signing the order, claiming the app could be valued at a trillion dollars.
While the order promises a reprieve, legal experts and critics argue it raises serious constitutional questions. By overriding a law already in effect, Trump’s move treads into uncharted territory concerning presidential authority and the limits of executive power.
A law professor at the University of California, Zachary Price, noted, “I don’t think it’s consistent with faithful execution of the law to direct the attorney general not to enforce it for a determinate period.”
The implications of this move stretch beyond legal wrangling. TikTok, used by 170 million Americans, has become a cornerstone of modern culture, reshaping social media and powering the livelihoods of countless influencers and small businesses. However, concerns over its ties to China persist, with fears the app could be leveraged for propaganda or data collection.
TikTok welcomed its return to U.S. users on Sunday with a message crediting President Trump’s efforts, but uncertainty looms. The app’s legal battles continue, with appeals citing free speech violations unresolved.
President Trump’s stance on TikTok marks a dramatic shift from his earlier tenure. In 2020, he advocated banning the app and pushed for its sale to an American company. His recent remarks suggest a newfound affinity for TikTok after joining the platform last year, declaring, “I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok that I didn’t have originally.”
For lawmakers and businesses alike, Trump’s executive order complicates a high-stakes debate on national security, digital sovereignty, and economic interests. Whether his approach succeeds in brokering a resolution or deepens existing tensions remains to be seen.
