Former President Donald Trump, now a Republican presidential candidate, has expressed support for TikTok as the popular video-sharing app faces a potential U.S. ban. This stance marks a significant shift from his previous attempts to prohibit the platform during his presidency.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Trump stated, “I’m for TikTok because you need competition. If you don’t have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram.” This endorsement comes as TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, faces pressure to divest the app’s U.S. assets or risk a ban.

Trump’s support for TikTok aligns with his criticism of Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, which suspended his accounts for two years following the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot and reinstated him last Friday. Despite previously labeling TikTok a threat, Trump joined the platform last month.

According to Reuters, the former president’s stance on TikTok may impact the app’s future as a U.S. appeals court prepares to hear arguments in September regarding legal challenges to a new law that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. assets by January 19, 2025, or face a ban.

TikTok’s user base in the United States has grown to 170 million, highlighting its significance in social media. The app’s fate now intertwines with the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election.

Trump’s position on TikTok also raises questions about potential conflicts of interest. He holds a majority stake in Trump Media and Technology Group, which operates the rival network Truth Social. Despite quarterly revenue comparable to two U.S. Starbucks shops, Trump Media boasts a $7 billion market cap.