Trump Backs Oracle As Potential Buyer Of TikTok

The New York Post reports:

Speaking to reporters today, Trump called Oracle a “great company” following reports that the software giant had preliminary talks about buying TikTok’s operations in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. “I think that Oracle would be certainly somebody that could handle it,” the president said. Trump also said he thinks the company’s owner “is a tremendous guy” — a possible reference to Oracle co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison, a Trump supporter.

Ellison — the world’s 12th-richest person with a net worth of $65.8 billion, according to Bloomberg — held a Trump campaign fundraiser at his California estate in February, and CEO Safra Catz reportedly worked on Trump’s White House transition team. Trump indicated that TikTok’s ultimate buyer will have to pay the US government to get the deal done. “We’re the ones making it possible, so our Treasury has to be very well compensated,” he said.

Amazon is currently suing the Trump administration, claiming that Trump directed a $10 billion Pentagon contract to Oracle in order to punish Jeff Bezos.

Crony capitalism in the American banana republic:
•Trump orders TikTok to sell off its US business or face a ban, before November 12
•Trump backs TikTok acquisition by Oracle, whose chairman Larry Ellison is a major supporter and fundraiserhttps://t.co/KnPuh0A80Y

— Alfons López Tena (@alfonslopeztena) August 19, 2020

President Trump voiced support for Oracle to buy the U.S. operations of TikTok, adding a fresh wrinkle to the bidding for the Chinese-owned video-sharing app https://t.co/PG7imV2pGH

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 19, 2020

Oracle has close ties to the White House. Its cofounder Larry Ellison is a Trump supporterhttps://t.co/TtqhtnDuKi

— Intl. Business Times (@IBTimes) August 19, 2020