'He did a one eighty': Donald Trump trolled for saying TikTok ban would benefit 'worse' platform Facebook

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Former President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to lawmakers over a potential ban on popular social media platform TikTok.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News' 'MediaBuzz', the former president argued that such a ban would inadvertently drive users towards what he termed a "worse" alternative: Facebook.

Trump's explanation for his shifting stance on TikTok ban

Host Howard Kurtz queried Trump about his apparent reversal on the issue, noting Trump's previous support for banning TikTok during his presidency. Trump explained that while he presented the option of a ban to the US government, he did not actively push for it, suggesting that Congress may not have shared his stance.

Reflecting on his past efforts to ban TikTok via executive order in 2020, which were thwarted by federal judges, Trump indicated a shift in his position ahead of Congress's recent consideration of a TikTok ban.

Trump said he previously "gave the option of banning it" to the US government, but he noted, "I didn’t do any jawboning. I didn’t do anything."

Trump's concerns over potential boost to Facebook

Expressing disagreement with the proposed ban, Trump took to Truth Social to voice his concerns, highlighting the potential boost it could provide to Facebook, a platform he accused of dishonesty and election interference.

He emphasized the dangers of impinging on free speech and the pitfalls of pushing TikTok users towards Facebook, which he deemed "worse than TikTok by a lot."

"If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business. I don't want Facebook, who cheated in the last Election, doing better. They are a true Enemy of the People!"

"But here’s what I did find," he continued, "I found Facebook to be extremely dishonest, and what would happen is, if you banned TikTok, if you take it away … those people are going to go into Facebook. And Facebook, in my opinion, is worse than TikTok by a lot."

"I just said, ‘You guys want it banned, if you want.’ And Congress probably didn’t want it banned, you know, etc. It wasn’t something that I was demanding," Trump explained during the interview, adding, "If I demanded it, I think I would have gotten it."

Trump's misconception about Facebook's operations in china

When pressed by Kurtz about any influence from a meeting with TikTok investor Jeff Yass, Trump denied any such influence, instead reiterating his distrust of Facebook and advocating for a solution that involves selling TikTok to remove Chinese control.

Trump asserted his belief that China wields significant influence over Facebook, despite the platform being barred from operating in China.

"If you’re going to do it to TikTok, do it to Facebook. And what you can do is let them sell TikTok. Let them sell it in the market. … But take it away from China control," Trump suggested during the interview.

However, Kurtz clarified to viewers that Facebook does not operate in China, underscoring a potential misunderstanding in Trump's assertions.

Public response and speculations on Trump's statements

Public response to Trump's remarks has been varied, with some expressing skepticism and others offering their own interpretations of his motives.

One user, "Or even worse than that…truth social."

Another wrote, "LOL no they won't... If anything someone will create a new site similar to TikTok."

One replied, "Didn't Trump issue an Executive Order declaring TikTok a threat to national security and etc in 2020? So why the change?"

One user said, "Real headline-Trump needs money and doesn’t want to piss off investors."

One user wrote, "After he meets with a rich dude who wants to buy it he did a one eighty. Follow the $. So putrid and easy to read what’s."

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