Speaker Johnson Asserts U.S. Will Enforce TikTok Ban, Demands China’s Full Divestment

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made it clear on Sunday that the U.S. Congress is committed to enforcing the law requiring TikTok to sever all ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a nationwide ban. Johnson addressed the issue during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, where he emphasized the dangers posed by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) control over the app.

“We will enforce the law,” Johnson stated, addressing concerns over President-elect Donald Trump’s recent comments suggesting he was open to saving TikTok. “When President Trump issued the truth post and said, ‘Save TikTok,’ the way we read that is that he’s going to try to force along a true divestiture, changing of the hands, the ownership.”

Johnson underscored that the problem lies not with TikTok as a platform but with the CCP’s use of it to manipulate American society and exploit user data.

“The Chinese Communist Party is not our friend,” Johnson said. “They have been flooding the minds of American children with terrible messages, glorifying violence and anti-Semitism and even suicide and eating disorders. They’re mining the data of American citizens. It’s a very dangerous thing.”

Johnson praised companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft for taking proactive steps to ensure compliance with U.S. law. He reiterated the necessity of a full divestiture, noting that President Trump is uniquely positioned to broker a deal that would strip ByteDance of control over TikTok.

“There needs to be a sale, a full divestiture from the Chinese Communist Party,” Johnson added. “And I think President Trump is the one who can make that deal happen, so we’re excited about it.”

The Biden administration faced significant criticism for failing to address the CCP’s exploitation of TikTok, but Johnson assured Americans that the incoming Trump administration would take swift and decisive action.

Key risks of CCP-controlled TikTok include:

• Algorithmic manipulation targeting American children.

• Data mining of U.S. citizens’ private information.

• The platform’s use as a propaganda tool to undermine Western values.

President-elect Trump has signaled his willingness to extend the timeline for TikTok’s compliance but has also emphasized the need for a deal that ensures national security. His administration’s focus on holding China accountable and protecting American interests underscores the importance of strong leadership in combating foreign influence.

As Congress and the incoming administration work to enforce the law, the message to China is clear: the United States will not tolerate platforms that endanger its citizens or compromise its sovereignty.

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