Trump's "Saves" TikTok & Launches Memecoin – All In One Weekend

Public officials have expressed their concerns for years that TikTok's gathered data might be shared with the Chinese government through its parent company ByteDance. This could result in 170 million users in the U.S. being exposed to Chinese propaganda.

To prevent this, former President Biden signed a bill in April giving ByteDance nine months to sell the popular video platform, or else it would be banned in the U.S – the TikTok ban was a request Trump already announced back in 2020 during his first presidency, by the way.

That's why TikTok shut down on Saturday due to "necessary clarity" – or maybe to tell their audience to touch some grass; details may vary. But on a busy weekend, Trump saved our brain rot with one hand and introduced a new cryptocurrency with the other. Here's everything you need to know about that.

Because we are aware that the average TikTok user attention span is shorter than a Vine, here's the news first. The word "saved" should be taken with a grain of salt. Trump stated that a 90-day extension is "most likely," giving the company more time to find a new owner. Furthermore, he presented his initial thought of a 50% TikTok ownership by the U.S. The platform went back online on Sunday. Conspiracy theorists would say everything falls into place, since now Trump's buddy and the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, could add TikTok to his social media trophy cabinet. Given that 23% of Tesla's revenue comes from China and his great relationship with the Chinese government, while Trump could assure his power with a 50% ownership. But that's just crazy conspiracy talk, right? ...Right?!

CEO Attends Trump’s Inauguration—After Trump Vows To ‘Save’ App

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was in attendance for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday morning, making an appearance after Trump promised to “save” TikTok and halt a ban against the platform by extending a deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok—ending a brief shutdown of the app Sunday.

Timeline

11:40 a.m. EST, January 20Chew is attending Trump’s inauguration after arriving alongside Apple CEO Tim Cook and podcaster and commentator Joe Rogan.

10:16 a.m. EST, January 20Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., questioned the legality of the expected executive order from Trump delaying the TikTok ban, which got bipartisan support and was upheld by the Supreme Court, telling CNN, “I’ve been concerned about the appropriate approach to separation of powers by all presidents.”

5:30 p.m. EST, January 19Trump said, “as of today, TikTok is back,” while speaking during a victory rally” as part of his three-day inauguration event on Sunday, telling the crowd in D.C., “we have no choice, we have to save it,” while suggesting the U.S. will own 50% of the company in what he referred to as a “joint venture” that would “make a lot of money.”

4:20 p.m. EST, January 19Trump adviser Jason Miller told CNN the president-elect’s team is “still finalizing” an executive order to delay the TikTok ban and give the platform more time to reach a deal to stay in the United States (the law banning TikTok by Jan. 19 gives the president the power to delay the ban by up to 90 days if ByteDance is making progress toward a sale).

4:10 p.m. EST, January 19A 19-year-old arrested for allegedly setting fire to a building that houses the office of Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., told authorities early Sunday he was motivated by the TikTok ban, local police told.

1:50 p.m. EST, January 19TikTok is now back online for many American users, sending a popup message that states: “Welcome back!” adding, “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.”—though it still does not appear to be available on Apple’s App Store.

Column: I watched Trump's inauguration with a Democrat and a Republican. Here's what they saw

As Donald Trump strode purposefully into the Capitol Rotunda for his swearing-in as president, Gary Himelfarb had already had enough.

"I'm getting sick just seeing him," he said.

"I feel sorry for you, Gary," his friend Jack Minckler replied.

Trump's installation as the nation's 47th president was, for some, a day of celebration and glory, his nationally broadcast restoration a mustn't-miss opportunity to watch and revel in his remarkable political comeback.

For others it was a blot on history, a cause for horror and despondency and a reason to stay far, far from a television set or anywhere the sound of Trump's triumphant voice might carry.

It all depended on your perspective and political viewpoint.

Neither Himelfarb nor Minckler, neighbors in this small slice of the wine country, are what you’d call hard-core political activists. That may explain the reason they get along and why the two agreed to watch Trump’s inauguration together over coffee and morning buns in the loft of Himelfarb’s small A-frame on a quiet side street.

They settled beside each other on a green sofa in front of a big-screen TV tuned to CBS, a more-neutral alternative to other, unabashedly pro- or anti-Trump networks.

Himelfarb, 70, a Kamala Harris supporter who describes himself as very liberal, was pushing 40 the first time he voted in a presidential election, casting his ballot for Bill Clinton.

He sat with a stricken look as Trump delivered his address, emitting a quiet suite of grunts, groans and a few curse words. When the Rev. Franklin Graham suggested in his opening prayer that Trump's victory has been a gift from the Lord, Himelfarb harrumphed, "God didn't do this."

Minckler agreed. "I doubt God had much to do with it," he said.

Minckler, 70, said he became a Republican largely because that’s how he was raised. A fiscal conservative and moderate on social issues, he backed Trump all three times he sought the White House, but said it was largely a party-line vote. Still, he was glad Harris lost, considering the former vice president vastly unqualified to serve in the Oval Office.

Minckler sat impassively, three feet from Himelfarb, with his arms folded as he took in Trump and his celebratory air. "You feel liberated?" he asked his friend when Trump declared his day of ascension to be America's "Liberation Day."

"I'm going to be living my life," Himelfarb said, resignedly.

"I'm just glad it's over," Minckler replied, summing up the thoughts of many after a long and exceedingly vicious presidential campaign.

The two met through a shared interest in antiques.

Himelfarb owns a small antique shop on the main drag into Calistoga, where the gregarious proprietor is a familiar sight on the store’s broad front porch, waving at passers-by. Minckler, who has an antique shop in Petaluma, about an hour away, lives around the corner from Himelfarb’s business.

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