President Trump reportedly told journalists on the Air Force One that he is banning TikTok as an executive order.
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Earlier today, President Trump told a pool of reporters that he will be banning TikTik and claimed he had the “authority” to do so aboard the Air Force One. The announcement was first reported by Los Angeles Times pool reporter David Cloud. Trump said, “As far as TikTok is concerned we’re banning them from the United States.”
He said during the pool that he was not in favor of letting a U.S company buy TikTok’s American operations.
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Pool report via main print pooler David Cloud/LAT pic.twitter.com/RDV8LjnLLQ
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 1, 2020
For months, US officials have been planning to ban the app due to security concerns and the possibility of sharing data to China’s government. Reportedly, Microsoft was planning to acquire the app’s American operations but the executive order signed by Trump will direct TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to “divest its ownership.”
SOURCE: Business Insider