Trump reveals Murdochs and Dell could potentially take part in TikTok deal
President Donald Trump said that eminent billionaires – including the Rupert Murdoch media magnate and the technology founder Michael Dell – could be part of an agreement in which the United States will take control of the Tiktok social video platform.
Trump appointed Murdoch, 94, and his son Lachlan Murdoch, leader of Fox News and News Corp, as part of a group of possible participants in an agreement during an interview recorded on Friday and was broadcast on Sunday on Fox News.
“I think they are going to be in the group. A few others. Truly great people, very important people,” said Trump. “And they are also American patriots, you know, they like this country. I think they are going to do a very good job. ”
Trump disclosure of the potential involvement of Murdochs and Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, is the last turn of a rapid potential transaction to operate Tiktok in the United States
Trump also said on Sunday that the founding oracle technology giant and CEO Larry Ellison was part of the same group. His involvement had already been disclosed. On Saturday, the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Oracle would be responsible for data and the security data and that the Americans will control six of the seven seats for a planned board of directors.
Many are still unknown on the actual agreement in progress. Trump on Friday discussed the Tiktok agreement with Xi Jinping in China in a long telephone call. Chinese and American officials have until December 16 to chop details, following the last extension of the Trump administration deadline.
Tiktok is an extremely popular application currently owned by a Chinese company, Bytedance. US officials have warned that the algorithm that Tiktok uses to shape what users see are vulnerable to the handling of the Chinese authorities, who can use it to push content on the platform in a manner to detect.
The Congress adopted legislation calling for a ban on Tiktok to enter into force in January, but Trump has repeatedly signed orders that allowed Tiktok to continue to operate in the United States while his administration is trying to reach an agreement for the parent company of the social media company to sell its American operations.
Trump said on Sunday that he had “a little detrimental” to Tiktok because he credited the application to have helped him connect with young voters. Trump said conservative activist Charlie Kirk encouraged the president to use the application.
The representatives of Ellison, Dell and the Murdoch could not be immediately joined to comment.
Trump brought legal action against Murdoch and one of his newspapers, the Wall Street Journal, in July after having reported a story reporting on the president’s ties with the rich financial and the sexual offender JEFFREY EPSTEIN.
