Scott Bessent
Quote:
“President Trump was willing to let TikTok go dark. That’s what shocked them.”
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Uh, yeah, sure Trump was going to let TikTok 'go dark'...a short history of TikTok 'ban' and TACO Trump's repeated extensions
July 2020:President Donald Trump says he is considering banning TikTok as retaliation for China’s alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aug 2020: Trump issues a sweeping but vague executive order banning American companies from any “transaction” with ByteDance and its subsidiaries, including TikTok. Several days later, he issues a second order demanding that ByteDance divest itself of TikTok’s U.S. operations within 90 days.
Nov 2020: The Trump administration extends the deadlines it had imposed on ByteDance and TikTok and eventually lets them slide altogether.
February 2023: The White House gives federal agencies 30 days to ensure TikTok is deleted from all government-issued mobile devices.
March/April 2024
The House of Representatives passes the TikTok ban-or-sell bill. The Senate follows suit, sending the bill to President Biden, who signs it.
June 2024: Former President Donald Trump joins TikTok and begins posting campaign-related content.
Dec 2024: President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue.
Jan 2025: The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning unless it’s sold by its China-based parent company. A ban is set to into effect on Jan. 19, 2025.
January 20, 2025 – On his first day in office, President Trump signs executive order delaying the ban for 75 days and instructing the US Attorney General not to enforce the law.
April 5, 2025 – President Trump announces another 75 day extension to the ban, making the new deadline June 19.
June 17, 2025 – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reports that the TikTok ban or sale deadline will be extended another 90 days.
Three extensions...what does Bessent think was different this time?
Oh yeah...the 'framework of a deal'...which in all likelihood is the beginning of negotiations not the end...in other words another de facto deadline extension.