Trump Claims Young Americans Owe Him for TikTok Deal Amid Security Dispute

President Donald Trump asserted that young Americans who use TikTok "owe" him for keeping the platform operational in the U.S. despite a law banning it due to national security concerns related to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. After taking office for his second term in 2025, Trump delayed enforcement of the bipartisan mandate passed during President Biden's term, which required ByteDance to divest its U.S. assets or face a ban. Trump signed an executive order allowing a U.S.-based consortium—led by conservative billionaires such as Larry Ellison, Rupert Murdoch, and Michael Dell—to acquire TikTok's American operations in a deal valued at around $14 billion, though the Chinese government's approval remains pending. This reversal from his earlier attempt to ban the app reflects political adaptation to TikTok's massive influence among young users, with approximately 170 million Americans on the platform. Trump’s message was delivered directly on TikTok from the Oval Office, where he encouraged young users by envisioning future leadership roles for them. The deal concludes a multi-year standoff over data privacy and foreign influence concerns, keeping TikTok alive as a dominant social media platform in the U.S.