In a Truth Social post Trump wrote: "Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration, as well as other events and conversations."

For those who came in late, there was a bipartisan move to close down TikTok over fears that its Chinese owners were using it to spy on the United States.  

After the company lost at the Supreme Court, the site went dark. Apple and Google acted swiftly, removing the app from their stores, and Apple even yanked TikTok’s rival, Lemon8.

However, Trump appears to favour a plan to see some of his good friends half-own TikTok. Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence startup, is said to have submitted a proposal to ByteDance to create a new entity that would merge its operations with TikTok’s US business.

 Other reports have identified potential buyers, including Steven Mnuchin, Frank McCourt, and Kevin O'Leary of Shark Tank fame. In a Fox News interview, O'Leary clarified that Trump is acting as an advisor on the matter, not a potential buyer.

What might put a spanner in Trump’s cunning plan is that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has firmly resisted all attempts to sell. CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration as tensions between the US and China heat up.

In a post late Saturday, Chew expressed gratitude to Trump for working to keep the app in the US, calling it a “strong stand for the First Amendment.”

Another issue is that Trump might not have the backing from Congress or the House of Representatives, particularly if a deal with a US company is not reached.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said: “It’s not the platform that members of Congress are concerned about. It’s the Chinese Communist Party and their manipulation of the algorithms.”