This is so goofy. Biden signed the law that banned TikTok last April. Trump is a hypocritical opportunist who decided to switch his position because he saw a political layup. To get more favorable terms TikTok is sucking up to the incoming president. Not everything is an Anne Applebaum column - ThreadSky

ahjohnson.bsky.social • 36 days ago

This is so goofy. Biden signed the law that banned TikTok last April. Trump is a hypocritical opportunist who decided to switch his position because he saw a political layup. To get more favorable terms TikTok is sucking up to the incoming president. Not everything is an Anne Applebaum column

Reposted from Philip Bump

man how did tiktok get so good at playing to the whims of autocrats

Comments

clarknt67.bsky.social•35 days ago

The political win of saving TikTok was just sitting right there on the table for virtually anyone to grab. Of course Trump is grabbing it. Of course Democrats whiffed.

where-is-dag.bsky.social•35 days ago

Jeff Yass also has a stake in bytedance. I imagine that plays a major role in trump's about-face too

patrioticcats.bsky.social•35 days ago

And most of the population will fall for it. Controlling the information sphere is how the oligarchs are taking over the world

taylormade56.bsky.social•36 days ago

I'm sure the orange idiot has a concept of a plan to make his billionaire buddies at TT and Google will keep getting richer from the American people. No worries about the info China is getting from that app.

chuckburly.bsky.social•36 days ago

Dems should have realized about a decade ago that if something passes with bipartisan support they shouldn't have helped pass it. It's always cursed.

gadflypod.bsky.social•36 days ago

Surely they'll stop doing that with the incoming administration ahhh fuck

joellevinyc.bsky.social•36 days ago

TikTok’s own onscreen message about Trump seems to support Bump’s view.

ahjohnson.bsky.social•36 days ago

The timing of the ban is literally in the bill signed in April, the ban takes place the day before Trump is sworn in, who else are they gonna appeal to and work with, the Cook County dog catcher?

rationallydense.bsky.social•36 days ago

TikTok's message is basically just "We love [insert guy in charge here]". It doesn't show any particular skill with anything.

joellevinyc.bsky.social•36 days ago

It’s pretty ham-handed. But that works with Trump. Clear what game they are playing.

rationallydense.bsky.social•36 days ago

For sure. But that kind of undermines Bump's point. It's a bit like watching a guy pick up a feather and exclaim "Wow, he must hit the gym every day!"

joellevinyc.bsky.social•36 days ago

I’m saying it’s ham-handed but could be effective with Trump.

thefoxontherocks.bsky.social•36 days ago

Friendly reminder that Trump got butt hurt from K-pop fans who organized and hurt his little ego so HE initiated a TikTok ban; now he teamed up with the CEO of TikTok and created a dear leader type of message to everyone, so he can “save it”. Fuck,fascists, and fuck, oligarchs; delete all Meta apps.

ahjohnson.bsky.social•36 days ago

Why did Biden go along with this conspiracy by signing a bill banning TikTok in April of last year? That went into effect on Jan 19 2025?

donettes.bsky.social•36 days ago

Libs are the stupidest people in the world I swear to god. I fucking hate these rat fucks more than the fucking demonic republicans

alwaysadorecats.bsky.social•35 days ago

mr. Trump thanks you for your service

kenanperry.bsky.social•35 days ago

"Mr. Trump, who I do not support,"

matthewraskob.bsky.social•36 days ago

Oh, we know that second part.

donettes.bsky.social•36 days ago

To clairify. I do not have a Republican bone in my body. I have never voted republican, do not support a single Republican policy. But somehow they still run all our lives because Dems are some thing that is less than useless.

empoficecream202.bsky.social•36 days ago

But you work in favor of republicans. Funny how that works in a first past the post electoral system.

falknergreaves.bsky.social•36 days ago

Democrats work in favor of Republicans far more than people who criticize the democratic party.

empoficecream202.bsky.social•36 days ago

berdee.bsky.social•36 days ago

But ur good helping the republicans take power - If you can pretend to yourself and friends on social media that your hands are clean?

alwaysadorecats.bsky.social•35 days ago

“But”

mattpb.bsky.social•35 days ago

Bringing back true Spartan laconicism.

vituperativeerb.bsky.social•36 days ago

That’s because you’re a Republican in a Che Guevara t-shirt bud

billmacohe.bsky.social•36 days ago

That's right the real way to fight the right wing fascists is to get on board with the people that capitulate to their every whim!

vituperativeerb.bsky.social•36 days ago

Democrats have not done enough to stop Republicans so to punish them I will let the Republicans win

billmacohe.bsky.social•36 days ago

You're the one voting for Republicans. They just have a D by their name. Expecting Democrats to actually do their job shouldn't be some pie in the sky pipe dream. They're cowards at the very best and more realistically want exactly what the Republicans do.

vituperativeerb.bsky.social•36 days ago

Buddy your plan is to do less than the Dems so glass houses lmao

ahjohnson.bsky.social•36 days ago

Biden signed the law banning them or forcing a sale in 270 days then said nm jk, ok the next guy can deal with it. Not everything is a goddam Atlantic Council panel

cptmolo.bsky.social•36 days ago

Biden DOJ was in court defending the ban like 72 hours ago and suddenly said “wait no!” 24 hours ago

aquaticintrovert.bsky.social•36 days ago

It's SO nearsighted that it nearly beggars belief. The whole "sell or we ban you" was probably just meant to strongarm them out of divestment from their Chinese parent company without actually having to enforce the ban, then just went about that process as usual until they all suddenly realized...

aquaticintrovert.bsky.social•36 days ago

..."wait fuck we lost the election and now we have to be the ones to ban the super popular app right before the other guy gets into power" so Tiktok can just call the bluff and Trump gets an easy, obvious win as soon as he enters office.

aquaticintrovert.bsky.social•36 days ago

It's a level of tripping over their own shoes I genuinely didn't even think the Democrats capable of but they continue to surprise.

ahjohnson.bsky.social•36 days ago

The timing of the end of Biden’s term and the beginning of Trump’s was in the bill! It was in the bill Biden signed in April. It’s not TikTok’s fault the timing worked in that way. It’s congress’ and Biden’s

jjo42069.bsky.social•36 days ago

It’s incredible that out of dozens of dogshit opinions out of this court *this* is the one that Biden is trying to finagle a way to not enforce.

christinaauriana.bsky.social•36 days ago

Trump actually started the talk of banning the app back in 2020. Which is typical—create a problem, then step in to “save” people from it.

dying-robot.bsky.social•36 days ago

while he did originally push for it, he’s been out of power for 4 years

Dems could have simply not done this

vapeynj123.bsky.social•36 days ago

What Trump tried to do 5 years is irrelevant. Biden brought Trump's plan to fruition,

lise-leblanc.bsky.social•36 days ago

that's his MO

christinaauriana.bsky.social•36 days ago

I’m aware.

ahjohnson.bsky.social•36 days ago

Trump started it but it’s been a bipartisan consensus since late 2023

themilfmag.net•36 days ago

if dems had any job at all it was to never give trump a layup smth they failed at multiple times btw

christinaauriana.bsky.social•36 days ago

No one needs to explain any of this to me. I’m aware. But he did fucking start it and it fucking sucks. Welcome to the next 4 years.

themilfmag.net•36 days ago

sure but how is that information supposed to make us react differently about this?

themilfmag.net•36 days ago

well aside from job #1 of winning elections needless to say

rationallydense.bsky.social•36 days ago

Him talking about it back in 2020 and even promulgating an executive order is not the problem we're facing. Hundreds of people didn't have to vote for it, sign it into law, defend it in court, uphold it as constitutional and implement it.

He's awful, but this thing is on them.

christinaauriana.bsky.social•36 days ago

He started the problem. He’s going to “save” it now to hopefully win people. It’s pathetic.

rationallydense.bsky.social•36 days ago

He didn't start it out of nowhere though. It was part of the yellow peril hysteria that was the inevitable result of the 2012 "pivot to asia strategy". If we're blaming Trump for that bill, we should probably also blame the people who did that under Obama.

toshfresh.bsky.social•36 days ago

I do believe Trump is a fascist, but this isn’t fascist it’s good politics .Liberals are confusing good politics and delivering for Key constituencies with fascism because they’re so unfamiliar with the concept

edwarddavid.bsky.social•35 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/edwarddavid.bsky.social/post/3lg4c3uov7k2e

segatape.bsky.social•36 days ago

nobody seems to be willing to grapple with the fact that the democratic party's leadership is really bad at this

nhold.bsky.social•36 days ago

Also while I have nothing but contempt for Trump I think the 'omg such an autocrat' thing can probly only really land if one has done a huge amount of work to deliberately bracket out Biden being a genocidaire.

ahjohnson.bsky.social•36 days ago

Yeah it’s not really hitting like it used to

samadams.bsky.social•36 days ago

This is not chess or even checkers. It’s tic tac toe.

yopapito.bsky.social•36 days ago

TikTok Toe?

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