Former President Trump voices concerns over TikTok’s national security risks

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE BELIEVES TIKTOK IS A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT – BUT DOESN’T WANT IT BANNED.

TRUMP INITIALLY SUPPORTED BANNING TIKTOK BUT HAS NOW REVERSED HIS STANCE.

IN AN INTERVIEW ON CNBC’S “SQUAWK BOX” MONDAY MORNING, TRUMP AFFIRMED HIS BELIEF THAT TIKTOK POSES A NATIONAL SECURITY RISK —

HOWEVER – HE NOW OPPOSES CONGRESS BANNING IT – BECAUSE HE FEARS IT WOULD BOOST FACEBOOK, WHICH HE CALLS AN “ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.”

[DONALD TRUMP] 

“I DO BELIEVE IT AND WE HAVE TO VERY MUCH GO INTO PRIVACY AND MAKE SURE WE ARE PROTECTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’S PRIVACY AND DATA RIGHTS. AND I AGREE, BUT WE ALSO VERY MUCH HAVE THAT PROBLEM WITH OTHERS. YOU HAVE THAT PROBLEM WITH FACEBOOK AND LOTS OF OTHER COMPANIES, TOO. I MEAN, THEY GET THE INFORMATION AND THEY DEAL WITH CHINA AND THEY’LL DO WHATEVER CHINA WANTS.”

 [LAUREN TAYLOR]

TRUMP SAID HE WOULD haVE BANNED TIKTOK WHILE HE WAS IN OFFICE BUT SAYS HE OPTED TO LEAVE THE DECISION UP TO CONGRESS.

LAST WEEK – A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF REPRESENTATIVES INTRODUCED A BILL – THAT WOULD COMPEL TIKTOK’S PARENT COMPANY BYTEDANCE TO DIVEST THE APP OR FACE A BAN IN THE UNITED STATES.

A FULL VOTE ON THE BILL COULD HAPPEN AS SOON AS THIS WEEK.