WASHINGTON — Following a brief nationwide pause of TikTok, President-elect Donald Trump proposed that the United States take a 50% stake in the widely-used social media app. This move aims to comply with a law that mandates the Chinese-owned platform to separate from its U.S. operations.

Trump noted his motivation to support TikTok was the app’s ability to engage 170 million American users, particularly young voters. He expressed concerns that shutting down operations would lead to significant job losses for Americans.

“We have no choice but to save many jobs,” Trump stated during a Sunday rally as he headed towards his inauguration. “We don’t want to hand over our business to China or anyone else.”

Speaking to the audience at a Capital One Arena rally, he explained that Congress has granted the president the authority to make deals and act as necessary to meet the legal requirements established on that Sunday. Congress had mandated that TikTok must divest from ByteDance or risk being banned due to national security issues.

“So I simply proposed a joint venture,” Trump told the crowd. “If TikTok isn’t approved, it’s worthless. Without approval, they won’t be able to operate.”

This arrangement, he explained, would allow TikTok to maintain its value. “I’ll give the green light, but the United States of America should own 50% of TikTok,” he continued. “There will be numerous bidders. We’re going to establish what’s known as a joint venture.”

Trump clarified that the U.S. government wouldn’t be funding any part of the deal but would simply provide the necessary approvals.

“So I don’t know. It seems like a workable solution. What does everyone think, good?” he asked the crowd. “Whether you’re a fan of TikTok or not, we’re going to profit greatly.”

Earlier that day, Trump mentioned that upon returning to the White House on Monday afternoon, he would sign an executive order allowing TikTok to operate in the U.S., without delving into specifics. Last week, the Supreme Court upheld the bipartisan law signed by President Joe Biden and declined to stop its implementation.

Contributing: Reuters