NEW TIKTOK EXECUTIVE ORDER

President Trump has issued an order calling on Chinese company ByteDance, which owns the popular video app TikTok, to divest from the social media platform’s U.S. operations, citing national security.

“There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that ByteDance Ltd. … might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States,” Trump said in the order released Friday night.

The order cites ByteDance’s 2017 acquisition of the social media app Musical.ly, which merged into TikTok, in making the case that the Chinese company poses a national security risk to the U.S.

The order, which invokes the Defense Production Act, demands that ByteDance divest from TikTok’s U.S. operations within 90 days. It is the administration’s latest move against the app.

The order states that “[i]mmediately upon divestment, ByteDance shall certify in writing to [the Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States] that all steps necessary to fully and permanently effectuate the actions required … have been completed.”

Trump issued a separate order last week barring any transactions between U.S. companies and ByteDance starting in 45 days, part of an effort to force the company to divest from TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. The president has separately said he backs Microsoft’s talks about potentially buying TikTok.

A TikTok spokesperson told The Hill on Friday in response to Trump’s new order that the app “is a home for entertainment, self-expression, and connection. We’re committed to continuing to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform for many years to come.”