Former President Donald Trump has expressed support for TikTok, stating he has a "warm spot" for the platform during a recent press conference at Mar-a-Lago. This comes as the social media app faces a potential U.S. ban on January 19.

Trump credited TikTok for helping him win the youth vote "by 34 points" and indicated he might look into preventing the ban. During an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," he acknowledged the platform's effectiveness while suggesting that banning it might be unfair, as another platform would likely take its place.

This marks a significant shift from Trump's previous stance during his first presidential term, when he supported banning the app. His current opposition to forcing ByteDance to divest its holdings may be influenced by his rivalry with Meta, following the suspension of his social media accounts.

The imminent ban stems from legislation passed in April requiring ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, to divest its holdings within 270 days or face prohibition. The U.S. government maintains that TikTok poses national security concerns due to its Chinese ownership, citing risks of data sharing with the Chinese Communist Party and potential content manipulation.

While Trump has promised to "save" TikTok, he has not yet detailed a specific plan. Notably, the ban would take effect one day before he could potentially return to office, should he win the upcoming election.

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