In an interview aired Sunday, President Trump mentioned that media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son, Lachlan, are among the potential buyers interested in acquiring TikTok.
During his appearance on the debut episode of Fox News’s “The Sunday Briefing” with Peter Doocy, Trump shared that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, along with Oracle’s Larry Ellison and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, are potential investors aimed at maintaining TikTok’s operations in the U.S.
“You know, they’re very well-known people. And Larry Ellison is one of them. He’s involved. He’s a great guy. Michael Dell is involved,” Trump said.
“I hate to tell you this, but a man named Lachlan is involved,” Trump said, referring to Lachlan Murdoch, whose family owns Fox News.
Trump stated, “I believe Rupert is among the group. They’re likely to be involved,” adding, “A few other influential figures are in the mix. They’re remarkable people and true American patriots who cherish this country. I’m confident they’ll manage the app well.”
Following a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump announced on Friday that a deal had been agreed upon to keep TikTok functioning in the U.S., following prolonged uncertainty about its future under new regulations set for 2024.
Despite the announcement, the Trump administration has remained vague on the particular details of the agreement. Meanwhile, the Chinese government appeared more cautious, suggesting the president had signaled his willingness to back negotiations pursuing an appropriate resolution on TikTok.
A substantial bipartisan majority passed a 2024 bill mandating that ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, divests from the app or faces prohibition from U.S. platforms and stores. Despite these stipulations, Trump has extended measures to ensure the app remains available to American users without divestment.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Saturday on Fox News that the deal, which still needs to be signed, means the app will be “majority-owned by Americans in the United States.” The app’s algorithm “will also be controlled by America as well,” Leavitt said.
