Trump Mulling Executive Order To Stall TikTok Sale Or Ban: Report

The report adds new intrigue to the TikTok saga after Congress passed bipartisan legislation last April to force the sale of the app, which is owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance. Lawmakers worry users’ data could be accessed by the Chinese government and many have called the app a threat to national security.

Trump, who was initially in favor of a ban during his first term in the White House, has warmed to the social media giant after he leveraged it during the latest presidential election. He recently said he had a “warm spot in my heart” for the app and has promised to “save” it.

It’s unclear how an executive order would circumvent a ban, set to go into effect on Jan. 19, a day before Trump’s inauguration. The Supreme Court is also considering a challenge to the law after TikTok argued concerns about the app are overblown and violate the First Amendment.

The New York Times added Wednesday that the chief executive of TikTok, Shou Chew, has been invited to the inauguration and sit in a position of honor near Trump that often features former presidents and family members.

A separate report said earlier this week Chinese officials were considering several proposals to keep the app alive in the U.S. One such idea would see billionaire Elon Musk buy the U.S. operations of TikTok and have X, formerly Twitter, take control.

TikTok threw water on the idea when reached for comment, saying it wouldn’t say anything more than that the report was “pure fiction.”