In this day and age, when our children’s minds are shaped more by screens than by schools or churches, we must be ever watchful. The deal President Trump is now poised to approve concerning TikTok is not just a business transaction. It is a long-overdue act of defense—a defense of our national security, of our youth, and of our sovereignty. For too long, we have allowed a dangerous foreign adversary, the Chinese Communist Party, to hold the reins of a social media app used by over 150 million Americans, many of them young and impressionable.
Now, through strong leadership and sound judgment, we are beginning to take that control back.
Under this new agreement, TikTok will no longer be dominated by ByteDance, the Chinese company that created it. Instead, patriotic American investors like Oracle, Silver Lake, Michael Dell, and Larry Ellison will step in to take majority ownership. These men are not just successful businessmen. They are Americans with a deep love for this country and a commitment to our values. Their leadership will help ensure that American interests and American children are no longer subject to the whims of a foreign regime.
Let us remember the seriousness of this situation. Under Chinese law, companies like ByteDance are required to hand over user data to the Communist Party if asked. That means every video, every like, every comment from an American child could have been accessed by Beijing. That is not just an invasion of privacy. It is a national threat.
Thankfully, this deal will not just change the ownership. It will also bring the powerful algorithm—the very brain of TikTok—under American control. Oracle will oversee and retrain it using U.S. data, ensuring that it does not carry hidden influences or backdoors that could be used against us. The Chinese no longer get to decide what our children see.
The fact that this deal still required difficult negotiations with the Chinese regime is a reminder of how deeply they had embedded themselves in our digital lives. President Trump’s team had to push hard, even arranging a direct conversation between the President and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, to secure an agreement that would let the algorithm come under U.S. oversight. China did not give this up easily. But they gave in—because America, under strong leadership, stood firm.
Some lawmakers in Congress remain cautious, and that is understandable. We must make sure that this new American-led TikTok does not become a tool for political propaganda or corporate greed. But the early signs are hopeful. The new board will consist mostly of Americans with backgrounds in cybersecurity and national security. ByteDance will have no seat on the security committee. That is a vital safeguard.
Let us also not forget how we got here. For years, President Trump warned of the dangers of Chinese control over TikTok. He was mocked and resisted by the media and by the weak-willed politicians of the Left. Yet here we are in 2025, finally taking the action he called for long ago. This is not just a win for the Trump administration. It is a win for all Americans who care about protecting our children, our data, and our future.
We must remain vigilant. The threat from Communist China is not limited to one app or one platform. It is a broad and growing danger that seeks to influence our culture, steal our innovations, and weaken our resolve. But today, we take a meaningful step in the right direction.
Let this be a reminder that America does not have to bow to foreign powers. With courage, clarity, and conviction, we can stand up and take back control. Let us continue to support leaders who put our country first and who are not afraid to confront the enemies of freedom—whether they come with tanks or with apps.
