This whole issue with TikTok has really gotten under Trump’s skin.
In an effort to move past it and get the issue settled, President Trump has now put a deadline on the possibility of Microsoft taking over U.S. operation of the Chinese-owned app.
Get It Done
The federal government has been concerned with TikTok for months now, actually having banned use of the app by both Department of Defense employees as well as members of the military.
There are very real concerns about national security tied to the use of the app.
Trump initially stated that he wanted to ban the app outright, regardless of whether Microsoft took over or not.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) later came out in support of the app being taken over by a U.S. company, calling it a win-win situation for current users and the federal government.
At the time, I stated it would be curious to see how Trump responded because it would let us know how much influence Graham still has in this administration.
Apparently, that would be considerable.
Trump has now apparently softened his stance if TikTok is taken over by a U.S. company, but he has set a deadline as well as stating most of the money from the deal should be forfeited to the Treasury Department for even allowing the deal to take place.
Trump stated, “We set a date — I set a date of around Sept. 15, at which point it’s going to be out of business in the United States.
“But if somebody, and whether it’s Microsoft or somebody else, buys it, that will be interesting.”
He added, “I don’t mind whether it’s Microsoft or somebody else — a big company, a secure company, a very American company — buys it.
“It’s probably easier to buy the whole thing than to buy 30 percent of it.”
You can read the full report on The Hill.
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