Trump Accuses Biden of Pushing TikTok Ban to Benefit Facebook

Former President Donald Trump has rekindled his stance on a potential TikTok ban, a move he had actively pursued during his presidency. Trump took to Truth Social to blame President Joe Biden for the potential ban, accusing him of pushing for its closure to benefit Facebook, TikTok’s competitor. Trump referred to Biden as “Crooked Joe” and claimed that Biden is responsible for the potential ban, alleging that Biden is doing it to help his friends at Facebook become richer and more dominant in the social media landscape.

The House of Representatives recently passed a foreign aid package that includes provisions for a potential TikTok ban. TikTok has strongly criticized this bill, calling it “unfortunate” and stating that it would trample on the free speech rights of the 170 million Americans who use the app. If signed into law, the bill would require TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app within nine months or face a ban in the U.S.

Trump’s opposition to the potential TikTok ban represents a significant shift from his previous stance. While in office, Trump had signed an executive order to block transactions with ByteDance and Beijing, China, regarding TikTok. However, this order was blocked in a federal court, and Biden revoked it in 2021. Trump’s recent comments indicate a change in focus, with him now targeting Meta, the company that suspended his Facebook account following the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

One possible reason for Trump’s change in stance on the TikTok ban could be his connection to Republican mega donor Jeff Yass, who is a TikTok investor. Trump recently praised Yass at a donor retreat and met with him at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, two weeks ago.

The Senate is set to take up the House-approved foreign aid package, including the TikTok ban, on Tuesday. While the Senate could choose to vote on the foreign aid measures separately from the TikTok ban, this approach would require the House to once again approve the foreign funding, a point of contention among House Republicans. Biden has indicated that he would sign the bill if it is approved by the Senate.

Trump’s opposition to a TikTok ban marks a significant policy reversal. In his last months as president, he had vowed to use his “emergency powers” to ban TikTok, citing national security concerns. However, his recent comments suggest a softer stance on the issue, with him now claiming that a ban on TikTok would only benefit Facebook, which he has described as the “enemy of the people.”

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, has also opposed a TikTok ban, citing freedom of speech concerns. Musk, a self-proclaimed free speech absolutist, suggested that eliminating TikTok would likely benefit his platform. Despite this, Musk recently hinted at reviving the short-form video app Vine, which Twitter had purchased and later shut down.

In summary, Trump’s renewed opposition to a potential TikTok ban, his accusations against Biden, and his shifting focus towards Meta and away from TikTok represent significant developments in the ongoing debate over social media regulation and competition in the tech industry.