Exclusive: Trump gives Microsoft 45 days to clinch TikTok deal

[Cryingdick]

Just heard Apple might be interested now as well. seems Google and Facebook have joined the line. Apple seemed strange to me. Google and Facebook I thought would draw the guberment hounds.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Cryingdick

[FritsSikkink]

On ‎8‎/‎3‎/‎2020 at 6:27 PM, Katipo said:

I have to agree with Trump on this one. TikTok is very invasive malware, even when compared to the likes of Facebook.

Land of the free 

[heybruce]

Trump finally gets to live out his fantasy of being a mob boss:

 

'“I did say that, ‘If you buy it … a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States, because we’re making it possible for this deal to happen.’ Right now they don’t have any rights unless we give it to them,” the president said.'   https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-says-us-government-should-get-a-cut-of-any-deal-for-chinese-owned-tiktok-2020-08-03

 

Trump is forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok or lose it, and making it clear that he wants a big cut of the company (without paying, of course) because he is forcing the sell.

 

Ok Trump fans, how do you justify this?

[mtls2005]

7 hours ago, heybruce said:

Trump finally gets to live out his fantasy of being a mob boss:

 

Just tell Microsoft to drop off "the points" at the Badda Bing.

 

 

[Srikcir]

On 8/4/2020 at 8:35 AM, Srikcir said:

It seems to me that with Trump shepherding MS' takeover of TikTok to the exclusion of any other US company including his own specific timetable for the takeover and personal intervention in negotiations potentially violates antitrust laws. 

Now Trump has taken abuse of power to another level. He insists that when a deal is reached in the sale, the US government is entitled to an unspecified fee payable to the US Treasury, ie., for Trump's personal use. He compares this sale to sale of private real estate where a finder's fee might be common. 

Only Congress can impose such a payment (whether it be a federal tax, fee or fine) and has never done so with such a private transaction. The US does not hold any equity in TikTok and thus has no rights in price negotiations. 

Trump simply cannot fathom how his responsibilities as POTUS differ from his private enterprise dealings nor does he seem to care to understand.

[canuckamuck]

Excellent plan to make Tik Tok irrelevant. Let Microsoft have it.

[Eric Loh]

My opinion is that Trump walking into a minefield and he has now boxed himself into a corner. He has given China lots of reasons to pursue some form of retaliation against American companies in China. Trump is better off banning Tiktok than forcing Tiktok to sell its US holdings. If Tiktok was to be forced to sell their holdings, China will do the same and retaliate which can include the potential to force sales of specific US assets in China and enabling China to consolidating domestic control of strategic emerging industries and squeeze US companies market share in China.Trump's idiotic comment that the substantial portion of the sales will go into US Treasury just make the reason of national security dodgy and the global community see US as a bully. Banning Tiktok will have large repercussion too from their subscribers who are of voting age. Trump keep giving away his election chances. Biden just need to seat still to see Trump self destruct almost on a daily basis.  

[stevenl]

He is trying to bully China, without seeming to realise China will push back. He should know by now, I find this really strange. Distraction from covid?