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His camp says he is exploring options to “create space to make a deal” after media reports of the executive order's plan.
Donald Trump is exploring options to save Chinese video app TikTok from a national ban, according to one of his top advisers.
Mike Waltz, slated to serve as Trump's national security adviser, confirmed Wednesday that Trump is exploring options to “preserve” the app after a report in The Washington Post claimed he was considering an executive order to halt federal ban effective January 19.
“We're going to find a way to keep it but protect people's data,” Waltz said in an interview with Fox News. “I don't want to preempt our executive orders, but we're going to create that space to get this deal done.”
The Washington Post report, which cited anonymous sources, said Trump, who officially takes office a day after the TikTok ban is due to take effect, will issue an executive order suspending its implementation for 60 to 90 days.
The report offered no details on the legal ramifications of the move, which would likely buy the administration time to negotiate a sale or an alternative solution.
Reports of the plan came to light as Supreme Court is considering oral arguments in a legal challenge to the two-party statute brought by TikTok, China-based parent company ByteDance and the app's users.
At the time of reporting, the judges appeared likely to uphold the law, which requires ByteDance to divest from TikTok on national security grounds or face a ban on new downloads on Apple or Google's app stores in one of its biggest markets.
Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first term over national security concerns, has changed his tune during his 2024 presidential campaign, promising to “save” the app, which he says has helped him win votes of young people.
On Wednesday, Pam Bondi, Trump's pick for attorney general, dodged a question during a Senate hearing on whether she would uphold the TikTok ban.
An NBC report said the Biden administration was weighing options to keep the social media platform available to users after Sunday in an attempt to delay Trump's ban decision.
“Americans should not expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday,” said a representative of the broadcaster's administration.
