Fact Check

Trump Open to Elon Musk Buying TikTok, Calls for US Stake

Kehinde Fajobi

President Donald Trump has expressed openness to the idea of Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), acquiring TikTok, the Chinese-owned app recently banned in the United States due to national security concerns.

The ban, which took effect on Sunday, left over 170 million US users without access to the platform. As part of the move, TikTok was also removed from Apple and Google’s app stores.

On his first day in office, Trump signed an order delaying the ban for 75 days, allowing TikTok to resume operations temporarily.

Speaking to reporters after signing the order, Trump revealed his thoughts on the platform’s potential sale.

“I have met with the owners of TikTok, the big owners. So, what I am thinking about saying to somebody is ‘buy it and give half to the United States of America.’”

Trump warned China against interfering in the sale, describing any obstruction as “hostile” and threatening tariffs of up to 100 per cent.

When asked during a press briefing if he supported Musk purchasing the platform, Trump said he would welcome it. He also mentioned Larry Ellison, Oracle’s co-founder, as another potential buyer.

“I would be if he (Musk) wanted to buy it. I’d like Larry to buy it, too,” Trump said.

Outlining his vision for the deal, Trump added, “The deal I think is this: TikTok is worthless if it doesn’t get a US permit. With a permit, it’s worth like a trillion dollars.

“So what I’m thinking about saying to somebody is ‘buy it and give half to the United States of America, and we’ll give you a permit, and you’ll have a great partner in the United States.

“They’ll have something that is more valuable because they have the ultimate partner in the United States.’”

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