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President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Jan. 7, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP) President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Jan. 7, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP)

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Jan. 7, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP)

Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu January 16, 2025
Samantha Putterman
By Samantha Putterman January 16, 2025
Amy Sherman
By Amy Sherman January 16, 2025

Tracking Donald Trump's complete position change on banning TikTok in the US

If Your Time is short

  • In July 2020, then-President Donald Trump told reporters his administration would ban TikTok. The next month, he signed an executive order seeking to ban the app; courts struck it down.

  • During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly spoke against banning TikTok. In a December 2024 filing with the U.S. Supreme Court, Trump said he opposes a ban and "seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office."

In July 2020, then-President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, "As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States." The next month, he signed an executive order seeking to ban the app.

Flash forward four years. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump joined TikTok and spoke glowingly in support of it.

"For all those that want to save Tik Tok in America, vote for Trump!" he said in a Sept. 4 video on Truth Social. "The other side is closing it up. But I’m now a big star on TikTok." He has 14.8 million TikTok followers, compared with 8.52 million Truth Social followers. 

President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation in April that would eventually ban TikTok unless it is sold to a U.S. company.

PolitiFact has a Flip-O-Meter to measure politicians’ consistency on issues. The rating is not making a value judgment about a politician who changes positions on an issue. Some people say changing positions shows inconsistent principles; others say it shows pragmatism and willingness to compromise given new information.

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Trump’s changing stance appears to mirror public opinion. In March 2023, 50% of U.S. adults supported banning TikTok, but that fell to 32% in summer 2024, Pew Research Center found. Republicans poll respondents supported banning the app more than Democrats did, but their ban support also declined over the time period. One-third of U.S. adults said in 2023 they used TikTok, up 12 percentage points from 2021, Pew Research found.

We asked Trump’s transition team why he flip flopped.

"President Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to save TikTok, and there's no better deal maker than President Trump," said Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance transition team spokeswoman.

PolitiFact has a partnership with TikTok to counter inauthentic, misleading or false content. 

Trump’s 2020 words and actions showed support for TikTok ban

In July 2020, Trump began signaling his intention to ban TikTok — partly as retaliation for the COVID-19 pandemic, which he blamed on China, where TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based. His campaign released political ads on Facebook and Instagram accusing TikTok of "spying" on users.

"Do you think we should ban TikTok? Sign the petition NOW!" one ad, which has since been deleted, said.

At that time, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Trump administration officials were "looking at" a TikTok ban.

Trump was asked about a potential ban following Pompeo’s remarks.

"It’s something we’re looking at, yes," Trump said in an interview with Gray Television, Bloomberg News reported. "It’s a big business. Look, what happened with China with this virus, what they’ve done to this country and to the entire world is disgraceful."

On Aug. 6, 2020, Trump signed Executive Order 13942, which sought to ban TikTok, citing national security concerns.

"At this time, action must be taken to address the threat posed by one mobile application in particular, TikTok ... The United States must take aggressive action against the owners of TikTok to protect our national security," Trump wrote in the order.

Trump argued that TikTok’s data collection practices threatened "to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information," which could be used for blackmail and corporate espionage.

The order sought to apply its TikTok ban within 45 days unless ByteDance agreed to sell the app to a U.S. company. American companies including Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp. and Walmart lined up to make an offer that would have sold off TikTok’s business in the U.S. and some other countries.

But two federal courts struck down Trump’s order in October 2020. A month later, Trump lost the presidential election.

TikTok supporters rally March 22, 2023, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP)

Trump joined TikTok and opposed the ban in 2024 

In 2024, as a presidential candidate, Trump said he opposed a ban.

In response to a bipartisan congressional bill that sought to ban TikTok, Trump said he no longer favored a ban because it would help Meta. 

"If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business," he wrote on TruthSocial on March 7, 2024, referring to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. (Post-election, Trump and Zuckerberg have become allies. )

Featured Fact-check

On March 11, 2024, Trump told CNBC that although he considered TikTok’s national security and privacy concerns, the company was not the only social media platform with those problems.

In a subsequent interview that month on Fox News, Trump said he opposed a ban because "there is a danger with banning it, with you know, freedom of speech." 

Trump also denied accusations from some of his supporters, including political strategist Steve Bannon, that he had reversed his position after a March meeting with Jeff Yass, a major Republican donor who owns a 7% share, worth about $21 billion, of ByteDance, NBC News reported. Trump told Fox News he didn’t know about Yass’ link to the company when they met and said they didn’t talk about TikTok.

In a June 2, 2024, statement, a day after joining TikTok, Trump said he created the account "to use every tool available to speak directly with the American people about how Joe Biden's failed presidency is tearing apart our beautiful nation and how I am going to stop him." 

After winning the election, Trump continued to speak favorably about the app. Asked at a Dec. 16, 2024, press conference about whether he’ll try to stop the TikTok ban, Trump said, "I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok." 

On Dec. 27, 2024, Trump filed a brief with the Supreme Court, asking justices to stay the ban’s Jan. 19 effective date to let his administration negotiate a resolution.

"President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture, and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office," the brief stated.

The New York Times reported Jan. 15 that the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee invited TikTok CEO Shou Chew to the inauguration, along with other prominent tech executives, including Zuckerberg. 

Our ruling

In July 2020, Trump said, "As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States." The next month, he signed an executive order that sought to ban the app; courts struck it down.

During the 2024 campaign, Trump spoke often against a ban. In a December filing with the Supreme Court, Trump said he "opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture."

Trump has completely changed his position on a TikTok ban. That meets our definition of a Full Flop.

RELATED: All of our fact-checks of Donald Trump

PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

Our Sources

TikTok, Safety Center, Nov. 7, 2024

Pew Research Center, Support for a U.S. TikTok ban continues to decline, and half of adults doubt it will happen, Sept. 5, 2024

Pew Research Center, Americans’ Social Media Use, Jan. 31, 2024

Washington Post, Trump considers executive order hoping to ‘save TikTok’ from ban or sale in U.S. law, Jan. 15, 2025

The New York Times, How Donald Trump Went From Backing a TikTok Ban to Backing Off, Dec. 28, 2024

The New York Times, TikTok C.E.O. Plans to Attend Trump Inauguration, Jan. 15, 2025

The Washington Post, Trump considers executive order hoping to ‘save TikTok’ from ban or sale in U.S. law, Jan. 15, 2025

CNN, The United States is ‘looking at’ banning TikTok and other Chinese social media apps, Pompeo says, July 7, 2020

NBC, Trump says he's banning TikTok in the U.S. July 31, 2020

Bloomberg News, Trump Says He’s Considering a Ban on TikTok in the U.S., July 7, 2020

Congress.gov, H.R.7521 - Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, March 13, 2024

U.S. Supreme Court, Brief of President Donald J. Trump as amicus curiae supporting neither party, Dec. 27, 2024

CIRCLE at Tufts, Young People and the 2024 Election: Struggling, Disconnected, and Dissatisfied, Jan. 15, 2025

BBC, Mark Zuckerberg dines with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Jan. 7, 2024

AP, Meta’s new board includes UFC boss Dana White, a familiar figure in Trump’s orbit, Jan. 7, 2025

Press conference, Donald Trump Speaks with Reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Dec. 16, 2024

PolitiFact, To ban or not to ban: Donald Trump’s and Joe Biden’s mixed messages on TikTok, June 13, 2024

Federal Register, Addressing the Threat Posed by TikTok, and Taking Additional Steps To Address the National Emergency With Respect to the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain, Aug. 11, 2024

Donald Trump, ICYMI: President Donald J. Trump launches TikTok account at UFC 302, Jun. 2, 2024

NBC News, Biden signs TikTok ban for government devices, setting up a chaotic 2023 for the app, Dec. 30, 2022

Congressional Research Service, Restricting TikTok (Part I): Legal History and Background, Sep. 28, 2023

RubioSenate.gov, Rubio requests CFIUS review of  TikTok after reports of Chinese censorship, Oct. 9, 2019 

The White House, Executive Order on Addressing the Threat Posed by TikTok, Aug. 6, 2020

The White House, Executive Order on Addressing the Threat Posed by WeChat, Aug. 6, 2020

The White House, Executive Order on Protecting Americans’ Sensitive Data from Foreign Adversaries, Jun. 9, 2021

NPR, President Biden signs law to ban TikTok nationwide unless it is sold, April 24, 2024

The Hill, Trump super PAC joins TikTok, May 8, 2024

The Associated Press, Biden just signed a bill that could ban TikTok. His campaign plans to stay on the app anyway, April 25, 2024

BBC News, 'Lol hey guys' - Biden joins TikTok despite security concerns, Feb. 12, 2024

BBC News, TikTok: Chinese app may be banned in US, says Pompeo, July 7, 2020

NBC News, Who is Jeff Yass? The billionaire donor with investments in TikTok’s parent company, Mar. 12, 2024 

TikTok, Biden-Harris HQ

TikTok, Make America Great Again

TikTok, Real Donald Trump, Jun. 1, 2024

TikTok, "The Charlie Kirk Show," June 6, 2024

National Constitution Center, A national TikTok ban and the First Amendment, Mar. 22, 2024

CNBC, Trump says a TikTok ban would empower Meta, slams Facebook as ‘enemy of the people’, Mar. 11, 2024

Fox News, Trump warns lawmakers that if they ban TikTok, users will flock to ‘worse’ platform Facebook, Mar. 17, 2024  

YouTube, ABC News - President Trump takes on TikTok, Aug. 3, 2020

Newsweek, Steve Bannon Suggests Donald Trump Has Been Bought, Mar 11, 2024

The White House, Executive order on ensuring robust consideration of evolving national security risks by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, Sept. 15, 2022

The White House, Remarks by President Biden After Marine One arrival, Feb. 6, 2023

The White House, Remarks by President Biden Before Air Force One departure | Joint Base Andrews, MD, March 8, 2024

USA Today, Ban TikTok? Trump campaign pushes Facebook ads asking if he should block the music app, Jul. 20, 2020

The Associated Press, Meta, TikTok and other social media CEOs testify in heated Senate hearing on child exploitation, Jan. 31, 2024

The Associated Press, Trump says he’s considering a ban on TikTok in the US, Jul. 8, 2020

The White House,  Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby, Feb. 12, 2024

The White House, Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, April 24, 2024

PolitiFact, Did Joe Biden ban TikTok for US workers but start a campaign account? Fact-checking Sen. Katie Britt, March 8, 2024

CNN, The Biden administration is shifting its approach to TikTok, March 8, 2023

Los Angeles Times, TikTok CEO faces bipartisan grilling over privacy, China ties and teens, Mar.  23, 2023

CNN, Trump’s campaign was trolled by TikTok users in Tulsa, Jun. 21, 2020

ABC News, Trump's TikTok ban reversal comes after meeting megadonor who has stake in TikTok, Mar. 11, 2024
The New York Times, Biden Revokes and Replaces Trump Order That Banned TikTok, June 9, 2021

The New York Times, TikTok, a Chinese Video App, Brings Fun Back to Social Media, Dec. 3, 2018

 The Guardian, Trump 'played' by K-pop fans and TikTok users who disrupted Tulsa rally, Jun. 21, 2020

The New York Times, House passes bill to force TikTok sale from Chinese owner or ban the app, Mar. 13, 2024

U.S. Senate, Letter to President Joe Biden - Senator Joni K. Ernst and Representative Troy Nehls, April 26, 2024

The New York Times, What Trump’s TikTok flip-flop tells America, Mar. 17, 2024

The Washington Post, TikTok offered an extraordinary deal. The U.S. government took a pass, May 29, 2024

The New York Times, Biden Issues New Order to Block Chinese Investment in Technology in the U.S., Sept. 15, 2022
The Associated Press, Biden just signed a bill that could ban TikTok. His campaign plans to stay on the app anyway,  April 25, 2024

Pew Research Center, Americans’ social media use, Jan. 31, 2024

The Verge, TikTok will pay $5.7 million over alleged children’s privacy law violations, Feb. 27, 2019

Email statement, Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance transition spokesperson, Jan. 16, 2025

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Tracking Donald Trump's complete position change on banning TikTok in the US

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