Barstool Sports founder, Dave Portnoy, has shared his frustration with the U.S. government’s handling of the TikTok ban, drawing comparisons to the treatment of small business owners during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a passionate statement, Portnoy expressed his outrage over how the government allowed the situation to escalate, even temporarily taking the popular social media platform offline.
Portnoy, speaking before Donald Trump signed an executive order attempting to delay the ban by 75 days, emphasized the harm being done to creators and small businesses that have built their careers on TikTok.
He likened the current situation to the government’s abrupt actions during the pandemic when businesses were forced to shut down.
Portnoy’s Frustration with the Government’s Actions
“This entire situation makes me want to puke,” Portnoy said. “I really f***ing hate it. It reminds me of when the government cut the legs out from so many businesses during COVID.
You can’t open your doors, you can’t do business, all in the name of protection.”
He continued, expressing disbelief that creators who have spent years building their livelihoods on TikTok were now facing the possibility of losing everything.
“You work for years to build your career, and then the government steps in and says, ‘Sorry, you’re done,'” Portnoy fumed.
“I hate it. It’s the same vibe as COVID, where the government plays like daddy while these congressmen and senators, who have no clue, ruin people’s lives.”
Portnoy Doubles Down on His Views
Portnoy wasn’t done with his criticism.
He continued his rant on Fox’s Will Cain Show, highlighting the significant number of people who rely on TikTok to earn a living.
“You can’t underestimate how many people earn a living through this,” he said. “To just shut it down is absurd.
And the fact that people with financial interests in Meta are writing the bills? It’s all very confusing.”
TikTok’s Temporary Shutdown and Government Response
TikTok, which boasts 170 million users in the United States, was briefly taken offline on Saturday night, just before a new law requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to either sell the app or face a ban took effect.
The app resumed operations on Sunday after assurances from Trump that no hefty fines would be imposed on TikTok or its partners.
In response to the looming ban, Trump signed an executive order on Monday to delay the enforcement of the law by 75 days.
This law was introduced after concerns that American user data could be misused by the Chinese government due to ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok.
The Future of TikTok and Potential Sale to Elon Musk
While TikTok is still available for use in the U.S., it remains unavailable for download on both Apple and Android devices.
In a surprising turn, Trump suggested he would be open to Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, purchasing TikTok.
Reports surfaced that Chinese officials were in preliminary talks about selling TikTok’s U.S. operations to Musk, although the company has denied these discussions.
Trump also suggested that the U.S. government could become a partial owner of TikTok’s U.S. operations in exchange for allowing the app to continue operating.
He warned that if a deal with Beijing wasn’t reached, he might impose tariffs on China.
As the situation continues to unfold, the debate over TikTok’s future in the U.S. shows no sign of slowing down.
