Trump: "Business Opportunities Thanks to the Government... Majority of TikTok Sale Proceeds Belong to the Government" (Comprehensive)

Claim That Government Should Take Majority of TikTok Sale Proceeds

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Donald Trump once again emphasized that the U.S. government should receive a significant portion of the sale proceeds from the Chinese video-sharing app TikTok.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

On the 3rd (local time), during a briefing on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), President Trump made this statement in response to a question requesting a precise explanation of his remark that "the U.S. Treasury Department should be paid regarding the TikTok sale." President Trump asserted, "The United States should receive a fairly large portion of the (TikTok) sale price."

President Trump explained that since the U.S. government created the opportunity for the deal, it should be compensated accordingly. This means that key U.S. government officials, led by President Trump, who are pressuring to ban TikTok usage and pushing for the sale, deserve an appropriate reward.

Earlier, President Trump stated that it would be acceptable for an American company, not Microsoft (MS), to acquire TikTok, but the U.S. government must receive a portion of the sale proceeds. He also threatened to ban TikTok usage within the U.S. if the sale is not completed by September 15.