President Donald Trump declared victory Thursday after TikTok finalized a deal that will allow the app to continue operating in the United States, ending years of legal and political uncertainty.
“I am so happy to have helped in saving TikTok!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling the agreement a “dramatic, final, and beautiful conclusion,” in his post late Thursday.
Under the deal, TikTok will form a new U.S.-based joint venture controlled primarily by American investors. The arrangement removes the immediate threat of a nationwide ban and keeps the app available to roughly 170 million U.S. users.
The new entity will be backed by Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi–based MGX, with ByteDance retaining a 19.9% stake, per ABC News. TikTok said the structure complies with U.S. law passed in 2024 that required the company to divest or face a shutdown.
I am so happy to have helped in saving TikTok! It will now be owned by a group of Great American Patriots and Investors, the Biggest in the World, and will be an important Voice. Along with other factors, it was responsible for my doing so well with the Youth Vote in the 2024… pic.twitter.com/JXhpQWsxTg
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@DailyTruthPosts) January 23, 2026
Trump credited the platform with helping him connect to younger voters during the 2024 election.
“Along with other factors, it was responsible for my doing so well with the Youth Vote,” he wrote, adding that he hopes to be “remembered by those who use and love TikTok.”
The app briefly went dark in January 2025 after ByteDance missed an initial divestment deadline. Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term to keep TikTok running while negotiations continued.
TikTok confirmed that U.S. user data will now be stored domestically through Oracle, and that the platform’s algorithm will be licensed to the U.S. entity for retraining and updates.
And while TikTok is going through major changes, some things will remain the same. Adam Presser, previously TikTok’s head of operations and trust and safety, will serve as CEO of the new venture. TikTok CEO Shou Chew will sit on the board, the company said.
Trump’s Oligarchs now control TikTok. pic.twitter.com/4hd4h5ASPo
— Maine (@TheMaineWonk) January 23, 2026
“The majority American owned Joint Venture will operate under defined safeguards,” TikTok said, citing data protection, algorithm security, and content moderation controls.
Trump also thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for approving the deal.
He penned, “I would also like to thank President Xi, of China, for working with us and, ultimately, approving the Deal.” Adding, ” He could have gone the other way, but didn’t, and is appreciated for his decision.”
The agreement ends a long-running standoff between Washington and Beijing that centered on concerns over data access and algorithmic influence. Lawmakers from both parties had pushed for a ban, arguing the app posed a national security risk.
I stopped using tiktok last January because they thanks Tr*ump for bringing it back but this is ctazy!!!! https://t.co/8ttvtFUObP
— Deanndra 🍉🫧🧡 (@lego_my_hwa) January 23, 2026
Experts told ABC News the transition could eventually affect what users see in their feeds, though the scale and direction of those changes remain unclear. National Security and Business Investment Professor Sarah Bauerle-Danzman argues that “[g]iven that the companies and individuals that are a part of the deal have very close ties to the Trump administration, it begs the question of whether we’re trading one form of undue state influence for another.”
“The algorithm has been the secret sauce,” Timothy Edgar, a former national security official, told the outlet, noting that U.S. oversight could bring gradual shifts. He said, “”U.S. TikTok will start with that success, but now will be able to make tweaks to it.”
For now, TikTok users won’t need to download a new app or change how they use the platform. The scroll continues — just under new ownership, and with Trump claiming the save.
