Trump says he is open to Musk buying TikTok if Tesla CEO wants to do so

By Steve Holland and Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said connected Tuesday helium was unfastened to billionaire Elon Musk buying societal media app TikTok if the Tesla (NASDAQ:) CEO wanted to bash so.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The abbreviated video app utilized by 170 cardinal Americans was taken offline temporarily for users soon earlier a instrumentality that said it indispensable beryllium sold by its Chinese proprietor ByteDance connected nationalist information grounds, oregon beryllium banned, took effect connected Sunday.

Bloomberg News reported past week that Chinese officials were successful preliminary talks astir a imaginable enactment to merchantability TikTok's operations successful the United States to Musk, though the institution has denied that.

Trump connected Monday signed an enforcement bid seeking to hold by 75 days the enforcement of the instrumentality that was enactment successful spot aft U.S. officials warned that nether Chinese genitor institution ByteDance, determination was a hazard of Americans' information being misused.

TikTok remained unavailable to download connected Apple (NASDAQ:) and Android devices successful the United States connected Tuesday afternoon.

KEY QUOTES

"I would be, if helium wanted to bargain it," Trump told reporters connected Tuesday erstwhile asked if helium was unfastened to Musk buying the platform.

"I person met with owners of TikTok, the large owners," Trump added. "So, what I americium reasoning astir saying to idiosyncratic is 'buy it and springiness fractional to the United States of America.'"

CONTEXT

Free code advocates person opposed TikTok's prohibition nether a instrumentality passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by erstwhile President Joe Biden.

The institution says U.S. officials misstated its ties to China, arguing its contented proposal motor and idiosyncratic information are stored successful the United States connected unreality servers operated by Oracle (NYSE:), portion contented moderation decisions that impact American users are besides made successful the U.S.

Musk, who spent much than $250 cardinal to assistance Trump triumph November's statesmanlike election, has said determination was an "unbalanced" concern situation betwixt the U.S. and China.

"I person been against a TikTok prohibition for a agelong time, due to the fact that it goes against state of speech. That said, the existent concern wherever TikTok is allowed to run successful America, but X is not allowed to run successful China is unbalanced," Musk, who owns societal media level X, said implicit the weekend.