On the eve of the inauguration, President Trump took to Truth Social. Announces intention to return TikTok to the US — Whether you have a contract with a U.S. buyer. In other words, the man who spent four years sounding the alarm about the Chinese threat has now set out to rescue the most powerful Trojan horse.
This isn't just a betrayal of his “America First” doctrine, it's a capitulation. For a president who has been a vocal defender of national security and American sovereignty, the move smacks of capitulation to the very forces his administration has denounced as an existential threat. For many years, TikTok's parent company ByteDance has Scrutiny of relationship with Chinese government.
Allegations of data collection and manipulation of American culture and politics by apps have sparked bipartisan alarm, and the Supreme Court has ruled that the country must sever ties with China or shut down U.S. operations altogether. This is a rare moment of political unity in defending national security. President Trump's last-minute reprieve undermines this hard-won consensus. It lets the world know that principles bend under the weight of convenience and optics.
But the TikTok story isn't just about security, it's also a revelation. It exposes the “America First” mantra as hollow, a cruel deception wielded to rally voters and discarded only when it is inconvenient.
President Trump's inconsistency on national security goes far beyond TikTok. let's think about him Regime sales of arms to Saudi ArabiaEven after the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. While President Trump loudly touted his “America First” credo, his administration prioritized lucrative arms deals and justified economic interests over moral and national security concerns. This decision not only betrayed American values, but also emboldened an administration known for human rights abuses. Documented link to funding of 9/11 attackswhich would further undermine America's global standing.
Moreover, President Trump's military intervention, or lack thereof, further complicates his “America First” doctrine. While campaigning as a critic of “endless wars,” President Trump escalates drone attacks to unprecedented leveloften ignored the transparency maintained by its predecessors.
The administration also oversaw increased military activity in areas such as Yemen, Syria, and Somalia, further embroiling the United States in conflicts that had little direct impact on American interests. Far from prioritizing America, these actions perpetuated the very role of “policeman of the world” that President Trump claimed to be against.
During his first term as president, President Trump's trade war with China was hailed as a bold move to protect American industry and assert economic sovereignty. Tariffs on Chinese imports were framed as a strategic tool to level the playing field, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and punish China for unfair trade practices. However, the reality of these policies was far removed from the populist package.
They caused great harm to American businesses, farmers, and consumers, but achieved little in terms of tangible victories.
The agricultural sector was the hardest hit. China's retaliatory tariffs Targeting major U.S. export products such as soybeans and porkwhich devastated American farmers who were already operating on thin profits. To quell the resulting backlash, Trump administration provides more than $28 billion in relief fundseffectively forcing taxpayers to bear the financial burden of policies intended to protect them. However, these subsidies did not address the long-term structural damage inflicted on rural economies as market share once dominated by U.S. exports was ceded to competitors.
For American consumers, the tariff was essentially a hidden tax. The trade war has raised the price of imported goods, from electronics to clothing, and boosted household spending. To add insult to injury, President Trump has doubled down on this strategy.
During his second term campaign, he promised to impose further tariffs on China as a continuation of his economic fight against China. But what he fails to acknowledge is that the tariffs are not paid by foreign governments. They are paid for by importers, which means American businesses and consumers will once again bear the brunt of his policies.
In essence, Trump is promising to “smash” China while at the same time intentionally inflicting economic pain on the very people he claims to be defending.
Even as President Trump has positioned himself as a populist warrior against entrenched elites, he has often revealed cozy relationships with corporate power, especially Big Tech. Companies like Google, Amazon and Mata have been accused of political bias and monopolistic practices and have been frequent targets of Trump's ire. But his administration's actions were largely cosmetic, with more emphasis on headline-grabbing feuds than meaningful reforms.
For example, while President Trump has publicly accused Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos of exploiting tax loopholes to dominate e-commerce, the administration has taken significant steps to address antitrust concerns. was not taught. Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department investigations into Big Tech have been lukewarm, with little concrete action. The failure to rein in monopolistic practices has left small businesses vulnerable and perpetuated the consolidation of power among a small number of businesses.
Additionally, Trump's signing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 further demonstrated that he is aligned with corporate interests. The bill lowered the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, a windfall for tech giants and other large corporations. Proponents argued that the cuts would spur investment and job creation, but in reality they led to a surge in stock buybacks that unfairly benefited wealthy shareholders rather than ordinary workers.
Trump's close relationship Criticism of BlackRock chief Larry Fink also deserves scrutiny. As CEO of the world's largest asset management firm with more than $10 trillion in assets under management, Mr. Fink wields unparalleled financial influence. The Trump administration relied heavily on BlackRock at key points, particularly in responding to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
of was entrusted with the company It controlled the Federal Reserve's bond purchasing program, effectively giving it unprecedented control over public funds and the direction of U.S. economic policy. The deal gave BlackRock the power to decide which companies received a financial lifeline, further strengthening its corporate monopoly while allowing small businesses to fend for themselves.
Rather than helping Main Street, this partnership strengthened the control of Wall Street's most powerful players. It deepened economic inequality and undermined the very principles of populism that President Trump claimed to champion.
That swamp that Trump so often decries? Blackrock doesn't just swim, we own it.
The same hypocrisy is the lifeblood of his TikTok. By endorsing a platform that presents a legitimate national security threat, President Trump is putting political expediency and corporate interests above national security. If President Trump is serious about keeping his populist promises, he must abandon any grace for TikTok and take decisive action to protect America's national security. Anything less would not only shatter the credibility of his doctrine, but also endanger the very people he was sworn to protect.
John Mac Ghlionn is a writer and researcher who explores the impact of culture, society, and technology on everyday life.
