Trump, Bondi Sued Over TikTok Deal Approval

Is the TikTok deal crony capitalism or a lawful win-win for national security and free speech?

Published 2 hours ago

Trump, Bondi Sued Over TikTok Deal Approval

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Above: A smartphone displaying the TikTok logo in front of the Truth Social profile page of U.S. President Donald Trump. Image credit: Cheng Xin/Getty Images

The Spin

Anti-Trump narrative

The TikTok deal is a clear case of crony capitalism. Trump approved an illegal sale that violates the 2024 law’s ban on operational ties with ByteDance, allowing the Chinese company to retain control of the algorithm, e-commerce operations and board seats. Meanwhile, his allies bought the company at a fraction of its value, personally enriching him with billions in cryptocurrency and campaign donations. The deal must be renegotiated to remove foreign influence and prevent allies from controlling or censoring U.S. TikTok content.

Brendan Ballou on X Squarespace Public Integrity Project

Pro-Trump narrative

The TikTok divestiture framework fully complies with the 2024 Act while protecting national security and free speech for 170 million Americans. The qualified divestiture removes foreign adversary control by ensuring U.S. ownership exceeds 80%, stores sensitive data domestically with trusted security partners monitoring all operations, and prevents China from exploiting the platform to collect Americans' personal information for intelligence operations and blackmail. The current deal is a win-win for security and accessibility.

Donald Trump on Truthsocial Trump White House