Trump criticizes TikTok for national security threats, attacks Facebook as 'enemy of the people'

Ex-President Donald Trump argued that TikTok poses a threat to national security. However, he could not endorse a congressional ban on the widely used app, arguing that such a move would inadvertently increase support for Facebook, which he described as "the enemy of the people."

When asked if he believed TikTok posed a threat to national security during an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday morning, Trump said, "I do believe that."

"I do believe it and we have to very much admit we are protecting American people’s privacy and data rights," Trump added.

Initially, Trump favored moves to prohibit the app in the U.S. but later withdrew his support. When questioned about his change of stance, Trump explained that he could ban TikTok while in office but left the decision to Congress instead.

"But as you know, I was at the point where I could have gotten it done if I wanted to. I should have said you guys decide, and you make that decision because many people talk about it and love it (...) There are a lot of young kids on TikTok who will go crazy without it. There are a lot of users."

Trump criticized TikTok but stressed that banning the app would result in the rise of Facebook, which he rated as 'the enemy of the people.'

"There’s a lot of good, and there’s a lot of bad with TikTok. But the thing I don’t like is that without TikTok, you can make Facebook bigger, and I consider Facebook to be an enemy of the people along with a lot of the media," he said

Source: NBC News