(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, blasted China for its ownership of TikTok on Monday’s episode of his podcast, saying American children are “chewing on Tide Pods” as Chinese kids are learning advanced math.
Ahead of President Donald Trump’s executive order extending Chinese company ByteDance’s deadline to make a deal with the U.S. on TikTok, Cruz warned of the national security risks of the popular social media app.
However, he made clear it would be “very good” if Trump could resolve TikTok’s ownership issue.
Trump's Inauguration! plus Tik Tok
Ban—What's Next?@benfergusonshow and I bring you the latest news on Verdict. Available wherever you get your podcasts. https://t.co/PvcgpgKds3— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 20, 2025
“The Chinese Communist government uses TikTok and uses it in a way that I think poses a very real national security risk to the United States,” the senator said on Verdict with Ted Cruz.
He accused the Chinese government of using TikTok to “engage in espionage” and “to push propaganda.”
“You know, the Chinese kids are getting calculus, and our kids are getting chewing Tide Pods. That ain’t good,” Cruz said, referencing the viral meme “Tide Pod Challenge” that took social media by storm in early 2018.
Trump’s executive order titled “Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok” acknowledges national security concerns surrounding TikTok while appreciating the popular app’s importance to 170 million Americans.
The president gave TikTok 75 days to make a deal with the U.S. on TikTok’s ownership.
Trump just signed the TikTok executive order while taking questions from the press. Imagine that – a president that answers questions from the press. Wild. pic.twitter.com/0ewVTX8daf
— Anna Matson (@AnnaRMatson) January 21, 2025
Hours before Trump took executive action, Cruz said, “If in the next 90 days, TikTok follows through and sells the company to a non-Chinese buyer, a non-Chinese government controlled buyer, ideally to an American company, that will be a very, very good thing.”
He noted the goal was to remove China from the platform.
“The objective of this law, it’s important to understand the objective of this law was never to ban TikTok,” he continued. “The objective of this law was to force the Chinese Communist government to end its ownership and control of TikTok.”
Cruz praised the “greater level of experience” of the second Trump administration.
“I think there’s just a much greater level of experience and also awareness of the deep state, awareness of the career bureaucrats who fight against a common sense, free market, freedom-oriented agenda,” the senator said.
Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and the American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.
