Trump says Murdochs, Ellison, Dell some of potential buyers for TikTok

President Trump said that Rupert Murdoch and his son, Lachlan, Oracle executive Larry Ellison, and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell are some of the potential buyers for the social media app TikTok.

Trump told Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing” that the media and tech company owners are likely part of a group of potential buyers to purchase China-owned TikTok so it can keep running in the U.S., The Hill news outlet reported.

“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,” he added, referring to Lachlan Murdoch, whose family owns Fox News.

“And Rupert is probably going to be in the group. I think they’re going to be in the group,” Trump said. “Couple of others. Really great people, very prominent people. And they’re also American patriots. You know, they love this country. So I think they’re going to do a really good job.”

After a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said that they both approved a deal to keep the social media app running in the U.S. The Chinese government said after the talks that the president had agreed to support efforts to reach a “proper deal on TikTok.” 

Joe Biden as president signed a congressional bill into law last year that would ban TikTok unless it is sold within a year, amid national security concerns, particularly ByteDance giving data from U.S. users to China's ruling Communist Party.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Saturday that the deal, which has yet to be signed, means the app will be “majority-owned by Americans in the United States.” Also, the app’s algorithm “will also be controlled by America,” she said.