In a recent interview, former President Donald Trump revealed that Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch are likely to be part of a consortium of investors interested in acquiring TikTok in the United States. This statement came during an appearance on "The Sunday Briefing" with Peter Doocy on Fox News, where Trump discussed the ongoing negotiations surrounding the sale of the popular social media app.
Trump indicated that officials from his administration have suggested that a deal concerning the Chinese-owned platform, currently managed by ByteDance, is nearing completion. However, he acknowledged some confusion regarding the status of the agreement. He mentioned the involvement of notable tech moguls Larry Ellison and Michael Dell, adding, “I hate to tell you this – a man named Lachlan is involved. You know who Lachlan is? That’s a very unusual name, Lachlan Murdoch.”
Further elaborating on the potential acquisition, Trump expressed confidence in the Murdochs’ capabilities, stating, “Rupert is probably gonna be in the group, I think they’re gonna be in the group, a couple of others. Really great people. Very prominent people. And they’re also American patriots, they love this country, so I think they’re gonna do a really good job.”
As of now, representatives for Fox News, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch and led by Lachlan Murdoch, have not provided any immediate comment regarding Trump's assertions. This comment from Trump comes amid ongoing legal issues, particularly a lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal related to its publication of allegations involving Trump and the late Jeffrey Epstein.
The urgency surrounding the TikTok sale stems from a law passed by Congress in 2024, which prohibits the platform from operating in the U.S. unless it is sold to an American company. This legislation highlights escalating national security and privacy concerns linked to the app. The Trump administration has extended the deadline for the transfer multiple times, effectively stalling the implementation of this law.
Currently, TikTok boasts approximately 170 million users in the United States. During the interview, Trump credited the platform with playing a significant role in his campaign for a second presidential term in 2024. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Fox News that an agreement would ensure that six Americans would sit on TikTok’s seven-member board, emphasizing that data and privacy controls would be managed by Oracle, Ellison’s company. Additionally, it was noted that the U.S. government would oversee the app’s data and algorithm operations within America.
