Donald Trump has expressed support for TikTok, stating he has a "warm spot" for the platform and may consider preventing its upcoming ban. However, the timing presents a challenge as the ban takes effect on January 19, one day before he would take office.

During a Mar-a-Lago press conference, Trump credited TikTok for helping him win the youth vote "by 34 points." He acknowledged the platform's effectiveness while expressing concerns about fairness, noting that banning TikTok would simply lead to another platform taking its place.

Trump's stance on TikTok has evolved significantly since his first presidential term. While he initially supported banning the platform, he now opposes forcing ByteDance to divest its holdings. This shift may be partially influenced by his adversarial relationship with Meta, TikTok's competitor, following his account suspensions.

The imminent ban, scheduled for January 19, follows Congress's April legislation requiring ByteDance to divest within 270 days or face prohibition. The U.S. government maintains that TikTok poses national security risks due to its Chinese ownership, citing concerns about potential data access by the Chinese Communist Party and content manipulation.

Despite Trump's expressed intention to "save" TikTok, he has not presented a concrete plan to prevent the ban, which would take effect before he could assume office.

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