President Trump is forcing TikTok to choose: sell to American owners or face a complete ban, as China desperately clings to the algorithm they use for “information-driven mental warfare” against the United States.
At a Glance
- President Trump expects TikTok to find a new owner before the April 5 deadline to avoid a U.S. ban
- The social media app is viewed by China as a tool for “information-driven mental warfare” against the United States
- Trump has indicated he wants TikTok to remain operational, crediting it for helping him win young voters by 36 points
- American companies including Oracle and Blackstone are considering involvement in the purchase
- China refuses to share TikTok’s algorithm, complicating negotiations as Trump considers offering tariff reductions to finalize a deal
National Security vs. Political Reality: Trump’s TikTok Balancing Act
President Trump is juggling national security concerns with political realities as the deadline to ban Chinese-owned TikTok rapidly approaches. With 170 million American users at stake, Trump has given ByteDance until April 5 to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to American owners or face a complete shutdown. This isn’t Trump’s first rodeo with TikTok – he initially targeted the platform during his first term with executive orders in 2020, but the efforts were stalled in court. Now, with explicit congressional authority backing him, Trump holds the power to decide the app’s fate.
While Trump has consistently framed TikTok as a national security threat due to its Chinese ownership, he’s also keenly aware of the platform’s political value. In a refreshing moment of candor rarely seen from politicians, Trump openly acknowledged his self-interest in keeping the platform alive. “I’ll be honest, selfishly speaking, I won the young vote by 36 points. Republicans generally don’t do very well with the young vote, and I think a lot of it could have been (because of) TikTok,” Trump said, according to the Deseret News.
🚨🇺🇸 PRO-TRUMP BILLIONAIRE REID RASNER MAKES $47.45B BID FOR TIKTOK
Wyoming billionaire Reid Rasner has placed a $47.45 billion bid to purchase TikTok, as ByteDance faces a looming deadline to divest under Biden administration legislation.
Rasner, a Trump ally, plans to address… https://t.co/iT7U48LPFM pic.twitter.com/UzNPhP4KSK
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 30, 2025
The Chinese Communist Connection: Why TikTok Must Be Sold
Let’s cut to the chase: TikTok isn’t just some harmless app where kids dance and share makeup tips. It’s a sophisticated data collection tool operated by a company beholden to the Chinese Communist Party. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is required by Chinese law to share user data with the government when requested. This isn’t conspiracy theory territory – it’s literally written into Chinese law. Despite TikTok’s repeated denials about data sharing, the fact remains that the CCP could demand American user data at any time, and ByteDance would be legally obligated to comply.
What’s particularly concerning is how Chinese military officials view platforms like TikTok. Colonel Dai Xu of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force has described such technology as “information-driven mental warfare” against the United States. While our own government struggles to regulate big tech, China has weaponized social media as part of its broader strategy to undermine American interests. The algorithm that decides what content users see – which China refuses to share – could easily be manipulated to push propaganda or suppress certain viewpoints without users ever realizing it.
The Deal Makers: Who Will Own America’s TikTok?
With the clock ticking, an array of American companies and investors are circling ByteDance for a piece of TikTok’s U.S. operations. Oracle, led by Trump supporter Larry Ellison, is positioned to play a crucial role in securing American user data. Meanwhile, investment giants like Blackstone are considering minority stakes, while existing U.S. investors including General Atlantic and Susquehanna are looking to increase their holdings. Trump seems optimistic about the deal prospects, telling reporters, “We have a lot of potential buyers. There’s tremendous interest in TikTok.”
In a classic Trump negotiating move, the president has floated offering China “a little reduction in tariffs” to facilitate the deal – showing he understands that both carrots and sticks are needed when dealing with the CCP. Meanwhile, Democrats are predictably trying to delay action, with three Democratic senators proposing the “Extend the TikTok Deadline Act” to push the deadline to October 16, 2025. You have to wonder why they’re so eager to let a Chinese spy app continue operating unimpeded. Republican Senator Tom Cotton, on the other hand, is taking the sensible approach of supporting a ban while remaining open to deal structures that protect American security interests.
The Algorithm Question: China’s Real Prize
Lost in much of the mainstream reporting is the critical issue at the heart of these negotiations: TikTok’s algorithm. This isn’t just some piece of code – it’s the secret sauce that makes TikTok addictive and effective at capturing user attention. China has flatly refused to allow the algorithm to be part of any deal, declaring it a national security asset. Think about that for a moment – if it’s just an innocent social media platform, why would China consider its recommendation algorithm a matter of national security? The answer is obvious to anyone not blinded by political correctness: because it’s a powerful tool for influencing public opinion.
As the April 5 deadline looms, the question isn’t just whether TikTok will be sold, but whether any deal will genuinely protect American interests or merely create the illusion of security. A sale that leaves the algorithm in Chinese hands while simply changing the nameplate on the U.S. operations would be worse than useless – it would provide a false sense of security while the actual threat remains. Trump clearly wants to find a solution that keeps TikTok operating for its millions of American users, but not at the expense of national security. Unlike his predecessor, he understands that sometimes tough love is necessary when dealing with adversaries who don’t share our values or respect our sovereignty.
