GOP hawks reluctantly back Trump’s TikTok deal amid security concerns

President Donald Trump’s plan to salvage TikTok from a potential US ban moved closer to completion, even as a bloc of GOP China hawks signaled they will likely support the deal to avert a shutdown of the popular app. In a closed briefing earlier this week, administration officials laid out a new ownership structure intended to keep TikTok under American oversight and remove the influence of Beijing-linked components from the app’s operation, a response to a law that could ban the app if any trace of Chinese control remains. Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that gives American investors majority control of TikTok, enabling the deal to proceed under a framework the White House argues meets security and regulatory requirements.

Under the plan, ByteDance would retain about 20% equity in the revived company, while Oracle would lead the US-based reformatting of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. The algorithm would be reconstituted as a version owned by ByteDance but leased to the new US entity for up to a decade, with Oracle not having unilateral control over changes. Some lawmakers cautioned that, even with safeguards, the algorithm would still be tied to Chinese interests, and that the arrangement raises questions about who ultimately controls the tool that drives the app’s content feed.

Financially, the deal carries significant caveats. ByteDance’s 20% stake is seen as a potential source of profits for the Chinese company, and the licensing arrangement for the algorithm is already described as reducing the new firm’s valuation from an earlier $40 billion estimate to roughly $16 billion. Officials argued the arrangement would remove Chinese spyware from the core software while keeping the app operable for US users, but critics note the costs of the algorithm licensing and the partial Chinese ownership could still advantage Beijing financially.

In closed-door discussions, administration officials told lawmakers and staffers that the changes would ensure the new TikTok entity operates without Chinese control, a claim some Congressional aides say remains to be proven. Oracle has been invited to brief Congress in the coming weeks, and hearings could be held in the months ahead as lawmakers assess the deal’s details and implications.

Politically, Republican leaders are not eager to oppose the president on this deal, given how central it is to his broader approach toward China and the 2024 electoral strategy. One adviser described the stance as a reluctant support rather than enthusiastic endorsement, noting that hawks see the deal as a necessary compromise to keep the platform accessible while pressing for stronger safeguards. Trump has shifted from his earlier push to ban TikTok outright, saying his 2024 campaign benefited from pro-TikTok content, and Vice President JD Vance helped hammer out the proposed structure.

Context matters: Biden-era bipartisan legislation passed in April 2024 would have banned TikTok from US app stores if ByteDance maintained Chinese control. Trump has sought to delay enforcement with executive orders while finalizing the US-controlled framework, a process that culminated with the deal finalized on Thursday.

Looking ahead, lawmakers will weigh whether the structure truly isolates the algorithm and data from Chinese authorities and whether the economic terms adequately balance US security and American consumer interests. If Congress approves the framework, Oracle and the administration expect to proceed with the licensing and operational handoffs in the months ahead, with oversight measures likely to accompany any approval. The debate underscores the broader question of how the United States manages foreign technology risk in a volatile strategic rivalry with China.