Trump could lift the TikTok ban upon taking office, according to the Washington Post.

The elected president Donald Trump plans to prevent a potential ban on the TikTok app in the U.S. next year. He made this promise during his campaign, according to a source familiar with the situation reported by The Washington Post.

“He values the scale and reach of TikTok, which he skillfully used along with podcasts and new media to win the election. There are many ways to hold China accountable. Trump understood earlier that Democrats are the party of bans – on internal combustion engine cars, menthol cigarettes, e-cigarettes, plastic straws, and TikTok,” said Trump’s former advisor Kellyanne Conway.

Trump has not yet announced his position on the app, but his team expects him to defend the social network if necessary, three informed sources told the publication.

However, during his first presidential term, Trump had already signed an order that could have banned the app.

On April 24, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill that bans TikTok in the country unless the platform's owner, the Chinese tech company ByteDance, sells its business in the U.S. within the next 270 days, ending on January 19, 2025, just a day before Trump’s inauguration.

The American authorities' concerns regarding the social network are linked to the data collection from TikTok users in the U.S., which poses a national security threat. However, the company has promised not to share this data with the Chinese government, even if Beijing demands it.

The social network's owners deny the ban, considering it unconstitutional. If TikTok cannot challenge Biden's decision, legal proceedings could delay the blocking process, giving Trump more time, the sources told The Washington Post.

According to another source familiar with ByteDance's internal discussions, the company realized several months ago that Trump’s victory in the elections was their best chance to maintain control over the app.

Background. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Trump appointed a Fox News host as the U.S. Secretary of Defense. He stated that “leftism in the U.S.” is a “more urgent issue” than Russian aggression against Ukraine. He also mentioned that he does not want his children to “fight in Donbas” due to an “unclear end goal.”