TikTok: A play in three acts

Scene 1. Tulsa. June 2020.
K-Pop fans use TikTok to coordinate a plan to snap up tickets to a Trump rally.
Scene 2. Mar-a-Lago.
Trump brags that a million MAGA supporters are expected at the enormous rally, despite a raging pandemic, and claims this shows how much support he has months before the 2020 election.
Scene 3. Washington. August 2020.
Angry and embarrassed by the number of empty seats, Trump vows revenge on TikTok. He signs an executive order that requires TikTok to sell its assets.

Scene 1. Washington. 2023
MAGA Republicans in Congress hold show trials claiming that TikTok is an instrument of the Chinese government.
Scene 2. Washington. 2023.
Congress conducts a sham investigation of Joe Biden, repeatedly claiming he has connections to China and puts out reports claiming that he is bowing to pressure from the Chinese government.
Scene 3. Washington. April, 2024.
Congress drops a TikTok ban on Biden’s desk, heavily hinting that he won’t sign it because he’s controlled by China.
Scene 4. Washington.
He signs it.

Scene 1. TikTok, January 2025.
As ban goes into effect, TikTok sends a message to millions that only Trump can save them.

Scene 2. Mar-a-Lago.
Trump launches a crypto coin days before taking office, allowing foreign operators to give him tens of billions — tripling his net worth in a matter of days.
Scene 3. Mar-a-Lago
With fresh billions jingling in his pocket, Trump calls for TikTok to be saved.

Everyone gets the message that laws are now meaningless.
Billionaires and foreign governments receive clear signals that everything is up for sale at the right price
Trump rolls around on a mountain of untraceable cash

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