The White House on Saturday called TikTok’s statement warning that it will “go dark” on Sunday unless President Biden steps in a “stunt,” arguing the app doesn’t have to take action before President-elect Trump is sworn in.

In response to Biden's granting pre-emptive pardons to his allies, Trump responded by expressing that the former leader had set an "unbelievable precedent"

"TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law," the White House said in a statement.

In his first interview after resuming office, US President Donald Trump criticised California's wildfire management, FEMA's disaster response, and Democrats' policies. He emphasised the need for states to handle their own problems and questioned TikTok's security concerns,

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s threat to “go dark” on Sunday, January 19th, a “stunt” and said there is no reason for TikTok to shut itself down before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in on the 20th.

The president-elect Sunday pledged an executive order, hours into his second term, returning access for American users, at least temporarily.

A TikTok logo is shown on a phone in San Francisco, Friday, January 17, 2025.