Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz flip-flops on TikTok ban despite past criticism of Chinese 'spyware'

Steven Lemongello, Orlando Sentinel on Jan 21, 2025

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President Donald Trump’s reversal on the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok has led to dramatic 180-degree turns from Republican supporters, most prominently by his national security adviser Mike Waltz, a former Florida congressman.

During his first term, Trump initiated an effort to ban TikTok in the United States unless it was sold. But on Monday, shortly after he was inaugurated, Trump signed an executive order to delay the enforcement of the TikTok ban — which became law after it passed Congress and was signed by President Joe Biden — for 75 days.

He said he wants the app to continue to operate in the U.S. and invited Shou Chew, the CEO of TikTok owner ByteDance, to his inauguration.

Waltz backed Trump in his decision to keep TikTok alive, telling Fox News on Sunday that Trump “will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark.”

The app, Waltz continued, was “a great platform for him and his campaign to get his America First message out.”

Waltz, of Florida, is a longtime “China hawk” who carved out a reputation opposing the influence of the People’s Republic of China. He was one of 197 Republicans who voted in March to ban TikTok from operating in the U.S., unless it was sold, in the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” later signed into law by Biden.

In 2023, Waltz called the video-based app “CCP spyware,” referring to the Chinese Communist Party’s ownership of ByteDance. A year ago, before the vote to ban the app, his campaign sent out an email stating he was “extremely disturbed” that “our kids are being inundated with pro-terrorist messaging on TikTok.”

“I’m taking action to STOP this new wave of terrorist sympathy in America,” Waltz wrote.

The ban was set to go into effect on Sunday, the day before Trump returned to office. But increased opposition to it from both Trump and some Democrats, worried about the effect it would have on Generation Z voters, led Biden to say he would not enforce the ban on his last day in power.

But TikTok shut down temporarily on Saturday evening anyway, showing some users the politically-charged message, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”

The app returned to operation on Sunday, telling users, “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”

Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., who voted against the ban last year, wrote on social media that the TikTok issue was “a massive political blunder on our end.”

“Let’s be clear: the whole thing is a con,” Frost wrote. “TikTok could’ve kept the app rolling on Sunday but by shutting down & mentioning Trump, he gets to be the savior. One of many examples of companies & billionaires bowing down. It’s BS. But it’s also the reality.”

While keeping TikTok alive, Trump also implied he would try to force ByteDance to sell 50% of the company to the federal government, according to Reuters, with the threat of Chinese tariffs behind it. Speculation has also pointed to X owner Elon Musk as a potential U.S. buyer for TikTok.

Republicans appear to remain mixed on the issue. On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said state Attorney General Ashley Moody, whom he chose to succeed Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate, “has been integral in our state’s effort to defend Florida against Chinese influence. … She opposed China’s ability to spy on Americans through the use of social media apps.”

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