If lawmakers continue to prioritize politically expedient anti-China bans, then they will fail to convince the public they are acting in its best interests.

The video app that once styled itself a joyful politics-free zone is now bracing for a nationwide ban and pinning its hopes on President-elect Donald Trump.

While the U.S. ban has been debated for months, India acted swiftly in June 2020 to block TikTok and nearly 60 other Chinese apps over national security concerns, stripping many creators of their main source of income and shattering a digital community.

Trump has said he has a "warm spot" for the app, a distinct change of heart after his first administration first called for a ban on TikTok.

TikTok's Chinese ownership for years has raised concerns among American leaders, and the TikTok fight has unfolded at a time of rising trade tensions between the world's two bigge