DEVELOPING: Experts Slam Trump's TikTok Deal Payment as Brazen Shakedown

BREAKING NEWS President Trump's TikTok Deal Payment Criticized as "Shakedown" The Trump administration has asked a coalition of US investors to pay the federal government "in the low billions" for taking over TikTok's US operations, according to sources. The group, which includes tech mogul Larry Ellison and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, agreed to make the payment. This payment is seen as a "finders' fee" by the investors, who were not authorized to speak publicly. Not a single member of the coalition objected to making the payment. The deal was announced yesterday with an executive order from President Trump, which approved a partial sale of TikTok's US operations following a 2024 law requiring parent company ByteDance to divest or face a ban. Experts are slamming the payment as a "shakedown scheme" and criticizing the administration for using its power to extract money from private companies. The move is seen as an attempt by President Trump to benefit financially from his executive order. The current status of the deal remains unclear, with no word on when the payment will be made or how it will be used. This development raises questions about the ethics and motivations behind the administration's actions. This is a developing story. We will provide updates as more information becomes available. *This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Based on reporting from Npr.*