Reed Statement on Trump’s TikTok Flip-Flop

WASHINGTON, DC -- Due to national security concerns, President Donald Trump originally tried to ban TikTok during his first term unless the platform cut ties with its China-based parent company, ByteDance and he called on members of the federal government and U.S. military to delete the app. TikTok itself is banned in China, but under Chinese law, the platform must comply with Beijing's intelligence gathering operations, if asked.

In 2020, Trump signed Executive Orders banning companies from transactions with TikTok's parent company ByteDance and another ordering ByteDance to divest itself of U.S. operations.

The same day that Trump signed this executive order, the Senate took a first step by unanimously passing bipartisan legislation to prohibit the use of TikTok on all federal government devices. In 2021, the Senate passed this legislation unanimously-for a second time. It was signed into law in 2022.

In 2024, Congress expanded the ban to apply nationwide. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce unanimously advanced a bipartisan law stipulating that ByteDance must sell its stake in TikTok within a year or be shut down. This law subsequently passed the U.S. Senate by a 79-18 vote and the House by a 360-58 vote, and it was signed into law. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law on a unanimous basis.

Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed issued the following statement on TikTok:

"TikTok is a tool that millions of Americans rely on. But it is also a tool that the Chinese Communist Party could exploit to access Americans' private data, conduct espionage, and promote propaganda that puts our national security at risk. It's a smart policy for TikTok to be owned by a company that is not beholden to China, which is exactly what the law requires.

"American's are busy and there's a lot going on right now, but it's worth remembering that President Trump was for the TikTok ban before he was against it. Since he initiated the ban, Chinese control over the app didn't change, but apparently President Trump now thinks the Chinese government can be trusted. The U.S. government must protect the security and privacy of Americans and prevent China from undermining the democratic values of the United States and our allies.

"It's simple and the law that was passed with Republican support is crystal clear: If ByteDance agrees to the law's divestment requirements - something that it could do at a significant profit - then TikTok continues to be available. But Trump should not sell out America's security interests."

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