Trump: "TikTok a Chinese Spy App? Phones and Computers Also Made in China"

First Interview with Fox News After Taking Office

U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about China's access to TikTok user data.

On the 22nd (local time), during an interview with Fox News, President Trump responded to the host's question about claims that TikTok is a Chinese spy app by asking, "Is it that important for China to monitor young people?"

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by Reuters-Yonhap News

He added, "But you could say that about all Chinese products. Most smartphones and computers are made in China," and questioned, "Why don't you mention that?"

In the interview, President Trump said, "Many people want to buy TikTok." He also claimed, "I won by a 36 percentage point margin among young people," and suggested, "Maybe it's because I won on TikTok." However, CNN reported that last year's election exit polls showed former Vice President Kamala Harris leading President Trump among voters aged 18 to 39.

On the 20th, shortly after taking office, President Trump signed an executive order delaying the implementation of the so-called 'TikTok Ban Act' for 75 days, stepping in as a savior for TikTok. The bill aims to prohibit new downloads starting from the 19th of this month if TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, does not sell its U.S. business rights to an American company. President Trump proposed creating a joint venture between an American company and ByteDance, with the American company holding more than 50% of the shares.