In a stunning political manoeuvre, former US President Donald Trump has directly intervened in the high-stakes battle over TikTok's future in America, issuing a blunt ultimatum to media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan.
The revelation, first reported by The Independent, centres on a private demand from Trump to the Murdochs: immediately cease all anti-Biden programming across their influential media empire, including Fox News, or forfeit his crucial support in opposing a congressional bill that would force a sale or complete ban of the popular video-sharing app.
A Political Power Play
This extraordinary intervention exposes the complex and often fraught relationship between Trump and the conservative media landscape he once dominated. The former president's conditional support appears to be leverage in a broader war over narrative control as the 2024 election cycle heats up.
According to sources, Trump made his position unequivocally clear during private discussions. His support for blocking the TikTok ban, a move that would please the app's millions of young users, is directly contingent on the Murdoch-owned outlets softening their critical coverage of President Joe Biden.
The Stakes for TikTok and US-China Relations
The bill in question, which has gained significant bipartisan traction, is driven by longstanding national security concerns from US lawmakers. They fear the data of American users could be accessed by the Chinese government through TikTok's parent company, ByteDance.
Trump's unexpected opposition to the ban marks a sharp reversal from his own administration's previous stance, where he sought to force a sale of TikTok to US-based companies. His new position places him at odds with many Republican allies in Congress who are pushing the bill forward.
The Murdoch empire's response to this private pressure remains unclear. Fox News is a cornerstone of conservative media and its programming holds immense sway over Republican voters. Any strategic shift in its coverage of Biden could have significant political ramifications.
An Unstable Alliance
This incident highlights the ongoing and volatile negotiation of power between Trump and the media channels that support him. It suggests a relationship that is less about ideological alignment and more about transactional power dynamics, where support is given only when specific conditions are met.
The outcome of this private standoff could significantly impact both the digital landscape in the US and the media narratives shaping the upcoming presidential election. All eyes are now on Fox News's programming and the upcoming congressional votes to see who will blink first in this high-stakes game of political chicken.
