Trump's TikTok threat may just be a 'negotiation tactic'

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

President Trump on Friday said he will ban the popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok from the United States, either via executive order or another method, such as a designation. But its loyal users may not have too much to fear in the long run — Trump's threat may be a "negotiation tactic" to make sure the app is sold to a U.S. company and completely severs ties with China.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.