(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) TikTok went dark in the U.S. early Sunday, and the popular social media app pinned its hopes for revival on President-elect Donald Trump.
An error message saying, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” appeared before users who attempted to access the unavailable app on their devices, which was removed from the App Store for download. TikTok blamed the Biden administration’s law that imposed a Jan. 19 deadline on its Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell to an American owner.
BREAKING: TikTok GOES DARK in the U.S. due to Biden and the Democrats.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!” pic.twitter.com/gSNxvMsbBz
— Julianna Frieman (@JuliannaFrieman) January 19, 2025
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!” TikTok’s message to users, many of which are young Americans, read.
After the app was banned, Trump posted a two-word response on Truth Social: “SAVE TIKTOK!”
— Karoline Leavitt (@karolineleavitt) January 19, 2025
Flamboyant TikTok influencer James Charles, who boasted 38 million TikTok followers, flipped out when the social media app went down. After saying he does not know what to do, Charles expressed what many TikTok addicts must feel: unexpected support for Trump’s next move.
TikToker James Charles reacts to TikTok going dark:
“Now I’m rooting for Trump? Make America great again, I guess.”
James Charles has 38 million followers on TikTok. pic.twitter.com/Id6KwuLVgP
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 19, 2025
“Now I’m rooting for Trump? Ew! God,” he squealed. “Make America f**king great again, I guess.”
Americans lost access to other popular apps owned by ByteDance, including CapCut, Lemon8 and Gauth.
Trump reportedly told NBC News’s Kristen Welker Saturday morning that he will “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban in the U.S. after he takes office on Monday. However, the president-elect made clear that an official decision has not yet been made.
NEW: I talked to President-elect Trump in a phone interview this morning. He told me he will "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban in the U.S. after he takes office Monday, but no final decision has been made.
More from my interview tomorrow on…
— Kristen Welker (@kwelkernbc) January 18, 2025
Trump later issued a statement on Sunday declaring his intent to sign an executive order on Monday to extend TikTok’s deadline because “Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations.”
The president-elect added, “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to [stay] up.”
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 19, 2025
The outgoing Democrat White House called the TikTok ban a “stunt” on Saturday despite President Joe Biden being the one to sign the U.S. ban into law.
"We have seen the most recent statement from TikTok. It is a stunt, and we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office on Monday," the White House says pic.twitter.com/sPtxzvs1AH
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 18, 2025
“We have seen the most recent statement from TikTok. It is a stunt, and we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office on Monday,” outgoing press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wrote in a statement.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Biden’s law in a ruling on Friday, holding that the risk to national security posed by its ties to China superseded free speech concerns for the app’s 170 million users in the U.S. Because no sale occurred before the deadline, the U.S. banned TikTok on Sunday.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, who will attend Trump’s inauguration, thanked Trump on Friday for working to keep TikTok available in the U.S.
“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process,” the TikTok CEO said.
TikTok says that it’s being banned but its CEO says they’re working with Trump to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States. pic.twitter.com/tVmjrDVvnU
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) January 19, 2025
On Saturday, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced he joined TikTok, explaining his decision by writing on X, “I don’t like being told what to do. I don’t like being told what I can think or say.”
Why am I joining @tiktok_us just as the government ban begins?
Because I don’t like being told what to do.
I don’t like being told what I can think or say.
The courts may think @tiktok_us is excluded from the first amendment.
I don’t.
I join @tiktok_us today as a form of…
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 18, 2025
I voted NO on the TikTok ban because it’s a violation of American’s free speech.
If we are going to stand up to China we should be banning them from buying our farmland, land next to military bases, forced ownership of our businesses and technology through trade, and so much… pic.twitter.com/a6OsYANYIX
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) January 19, 2025
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said Sunday that she opposes the TikTok ban “because it’s a violation of American’s free speech.” She drew attention to TikTok’s shoutout of Trump in its error message.
Billionaire Elon Musk, the head of the incoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), teased that he would revive popular video-sharing platform Vine, which permanently shut down three days before Trump took office in Jan. 2017.
We’re looking into it
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 19, 2025
“We’re looking into it,” Musk 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.
