President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to "save TikTok" once he takes office on Monday after nearly 200 House Republicans and over 30 Senate Republicans voted to ban it last year.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's transition team via email for comment on Sunday.
Why It Matters
TikTok's fate has emerged as a significant geopolitical and cultural issue after Congress passed a law last year signed by President Joe Biden requiring TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, to divest the platform by January 19. Lawmakers supporting the app's sale or ban have cited national security concerns, pointing to ByteDance's ties to the Chinese government and the app's data collection practices.
Defenders of TikTok, meanwhile, don't believe in a national security threat posed by China with the use of the social media platform. They rather believe that the bipartisan legislation that led to the app going dark on Saturday night is an infringement on their First Amendment right to free speech and a way for people in power to take away the online community created on the app and the economic influence it has had.
What To Know
In recent months, Trump's stance on TikTok has evolved. During his first term, he signed executive orders to ban the app, which were later blocked by courts. His change in position followed meetings with American investors and public acknowledgment of TikTok's role in his political outreach during the 2024 election.
Trump has now promised to issue an executive order on Monday to reprieve TikTok's ban, going against the original wishes of the Republican Party.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday morning, Trump asked companies "not to let TikTok stay dark."
"I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law's prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order," he wrote.
He added: "I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say [sic] up. Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars - maybe trillions. Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose."
The legislation banning TikTok last year was a bipartisan effort. The House vote in April was 360-58, with 186 Republicans and 174 Democrats favoring the law. The Senate vote in April was 79-18, with 46 Democrats and 31 Republicans voting in favor.
Here is a list of House and Senate Republicans who voted to ban TikTok in state order:
Alabama
- Rep. Jerry Carl
- Rep. Mike Rogers
- Rep. Robert Aderholt
- Rep. Dale Strong
- Rep. Gary Palmer
- Sen. Katie Britt
Alaska
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski
- Sen. Dan Sullivan
Arizona
- Rep. David Schweikert
- Rep. Juan Ciscomani
- Rep. Debbie Lesko
Arkansas
- Rep. Rick Crawford
- Rep. French Hill
- Rep. Steve Womack
- Rep. Bruce Westerman
- Sen. Tom Cotton
- Sen. John Boozman
California
- Rep. Doug LaMalfa
- Rep. Kevin Kiley
- Rep. David Valadao
- Rep. Jay Obernolte
- Rep. Mike Garcia
- Rep. Young Kim
- Rep. Ken Calvert
- Rep. Michelle Steel
- Rep. Darrell Issa
- Rep. John Duarte
Colorado
- Rep. Doug Lamborn
Florida
- Rep. Neal Dunn
- Rep. Kat Cammack
- Rep. Aaron Bean
- Rep. John Rutherford
- Rep. Michael Waltz
- Rep. Cory Mills
- Rep. Bill Posey
- Rep. Gus Bilirakis
- Rep. Daniel Webster
- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna
- Rep. Laurel Lee
- Rep. Vern Buchanan
- Rep. Scott Franklin
- Rep. Byron Donalds
- Rep. Brian Mast
- Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart
- Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar
- Rep. Carlos Giménez
- Rep. Greg Steube
Georgia
- Rep. Buddy Carter
- Rep. Drew Ferguson
- Rep. Rich McCormick
- Rep. Austin Scott
- Rep. Mike Collins
- Rep. Barry Loudermilk
- Rep. Rick Allen
Idaho
- Rep. Russ Fulcher
- Rep. Mike Simpson
- Sen. Michael Crapo
- Sen. Jim Risch
Illinois
- Rep. Mike Bost
- Rep. Mary Miller
- Rep. Darin LaHood
Indiana
- Rep. Rudy Yakym
- Rep. Jim Banks
- Rep. James Baird
- Rep. Victoria Spartz
- Rep. Greg Pence
- Rep. Larry Bucshon
- Rep. Erin Houchin
- Sen. Todd Young
Iowa
- Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks
- Rep. Ashley Hinson
- Rep. Zach Nunn
- Rep. Randy Feenstra
- Sen. Joni Ernst
- Sen. Charles Grassley
Kansas
- Rep. Tracey Mann
- Rep. Jake LaTurner
- Rep. Ron Estes
- Sen. Jerry Moran
Kentucky
- Rep. James Comer
- Rep. Brett Guthrie
- Rep. Harold Rogers
- Rep. Andy Barr
- Sen. Mitch McConnell
Louisiana
- Rep. Steve Scalise
- Rep. Mike Johnson
- Rep. Julia Letlow
- Rep. Garret Graves
- Rep. Clay Higgins
- Sen. Bill Cassidy
- Sen. John Kennedy
Maine
- Sen. Susan Collins
Michigan
- Rep. Jack Bergman
- Rep. John Moolenaar
- Rep. Bill Huizenga
- Rep. Tim Walberg
- Rep. Lisa McClain
Minnesota
- Rep. Brad Finstad
- Rep. Tom Emmer
- Rep. Michelle Fischbach
- Rep. Pete Stauber
Mississippi
- Rep. Trent Kelly
- Rep. Michael Guest
- Rep. Mike Ezell
- Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith
- Sen. Roger Wicker
Missouri
- Rep. Mark Alford
- Rep. Sam Graves
- Rep. Eric Burlison
- Rep. Jason Smith
- Rep. Ann Wagner
Montana
- Rep. Ryan Zinke
- Sen. Steve Daines
Nebraska
- Rep. Mike Flood
- Rep. Don Bacon
- Sen. Deb Fischer
- Sen. Pete Ricketts
Nevada
- Rep. Mark Amodei
New Jersey
- Rep. Jefferson Van Drew
- Rep. Christopher Smith
- Rep. Thomas Kean Jr.
New York
- Rep. Nick LaLota
- Rep. Andrew Garbarino
- Rep. Anthony D'Esposito
- Rep. Nicole Malliotakis
- Rep. Michael Lawler
- Rep. Marcus Molinaro
- Rep. Elise Stefanik
- Rep. Nick Langworthy
- Rep. Claudia Tenney
North Carolina
- Rep. Greg Murphy
- Rep. Virginia Foxx
- Rep. David Rouzer
- Rep. Richard Hudson
- Rep. Chuck Edwards
- Sen. Thom Tillis
North Dakota
- Rep. Kelly Armstrong
- Sen. Kevin Cramer
- Sen. John Hoeven
Ohio
- Rep. Brad Wenstrup
- Rep. Jim Jordan
- Rep. Robert Latta
- Rep. Max Miller
- Rep. Michael Turner
- Rep. Troy Balderson
- Rep. Dave Joyce
- Rep. Mike Carey
Oklahoma
- Rep. Kevin Hern
- Rep. Frank Lucas
- Rep. Tom Cole
- Rep. Stephanie Bice
- Sen. James Lankford
- Sen. Markwayne Mullin
Oregon
- Rep. Cliff Bentz
- Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Pennsylvania
- Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
- Rep. Daniel Meuser
- Rep. Lloyd Smucker
- Rep. John Joyce
- Rep. Guy Reschenthaler
- Rep. Glenn Thompson
- Rep. Mike Kelly
South Carolina
- Rep. Joe Wilson
- Rep. Jeffrey Duncan
- Rep. Russell Fry
- Sen. Lindsey Graham
South Dakota
- Rep. Dusty Johnson
- Sen. Michael Rounds
- Sen. John Thune
Tennessee
- Rep. Diana Harshbarger
- Rep. Tim Burchett
- Rep. Chuck Fleischmann
- Rep. John Rose
- Rep. Mark Green
- Rep. David Kustoff
- Rep. Andy Ogles
- Rep. Scott DesJarlais
Texas
- Rep. Nathaniel Moran
- Rep. Dan Crenshaw
- Rep. Pat Fallon
- Rep. Lance Gooden
- Rep. Jake Ellzey
- Rep. Morgan Luttrell
- Rep. August Pfluger
- Rep. Ronny Jackson
- Rep. Randy Weber
- Rep. Monica De La Cruz
- Rep. Pete Sessions
- Rep. Jodey Arrington
- Rep. Tony Gonzales
- Rep. Beth Van Duyne
- Rep. Michael Burgess
- Rep. John Carter
- Rep. Brian Babin
- Rep. Kay Granger
- Rep. Michael McCaul
- Rep. Roger Williams
- Sen. John Cornyn
Utah
- Rep. Blake Moore
- Rep. John Curtis
- Rep. Celeste Maloy
- Rep. Burgess Owens
- Sen. Mitt Romney
Virginia
- Rep. Robert J. Wittman
- Rep. Jennifer Kiggans
- Rep. Ben Cline
- Rep. Morgan Griffith
Washington
- Rep. Dan Newhouse
- Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers
West Virginia
- Rep. Carol Miller
- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito
Wisconsin
- Rep. Bryan Steil
- Rep. Derrick Van Orden
- Rep. Scott Fitzgerald
- Rep. Glenn Grothman
- Rep. Tom Tiffany
- Rep. Mike Gallagher
What People Are Saying
TikTok said in a statement on Sunday: "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 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive. It's a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States."
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Friday that Biden believes that "TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress," while adding that "actions to implement the law simply must fall to" Trump due to the "timing" of the ban.
Trump's incoming national security adviser Michael Waltz told CNN's Dana Bash Sunday morning on State of the Union that Trump is working to "save TikTok" and didn't rule out the possibility of a Chinese parent company with "firewalls to make sure that the data is protected here on US soil."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican and Trump ally, told NBC's Kristen Welker Sunday morning on Meet the Press, "I think we will enforce the law and when President Trump issued the Truth post and said 'save TikTok,' the way we read that is that he's going to force along a true divestiture."
What Happens Next
It remains yet to be seen if ByteDance would agree to Trump's joint venture proposal. Meanwhile, TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, has been invited to attend Trump's inauguration tomorrow.
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