At a victory rally on the eve of his presidency, Donald Trump championed a plan to "save TikTok" from a ban through a joint venture with the US government, sparking concerns about the legality and implications of such a move.

Trump's plan, which he claims will "save" the popular social media app, involves the US government owning 50% of TikTok. However, experts argue that this proposal does not comply with the law's requirements for a qualified divestiture, which would allow service providers like Apple, Google, and Oracle to avoid potential fines.

Despite the questionable legality of Trump's plan, some of TikTok's service providers seem to be relying on his promises, allowing the app to restore service mid-day Sunday, on the first day of its ban. This move has raised eyebrows, as it appears to be a blatant disregard for the law.

Trump's plan raises significant First Amendment issues, as any content moderation by the government-owned entity could be seen as an infringement on free speech. The Constitution prohibits the government from infringing on speech, and experts warn that Trump's plan could blur the lines between government and private enterprise.

Trump claims that there is "no risk" to the US because "we're not putting up any money. All we're doing is giving them the approval without which they don't have anything." However, this assertion has been met with skepticism, as it is unclear how the joint venture would work in practice.

Trump's motivation for saving TikTok appears to be rooted in his belief that the app helped his campaign, particularly among young voters. He credited his 21-year-old staffer, nicknamed "TikTok Jack," for helping him get on the app, which he claims helped him win over young voters.

Ironically, the initial reason for forcing TikTok to divest from its parent company ByteDance was to remove a possible backdoor for the Chinese government to access US data. However, Trump now claims that "frankly, we have no choice, we have to save it — a lot of jobs. We don't wanna give our business to China."

The implications of Trump's plan are far-reaching, and experts warn that it could set a dangerous precedent for government involvement in private enterprise. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether Trump's plan will be implemented and what the consequences will be for the tech industry and beyond.

In the meantime, the fate of TikTok hangs in the balance, as users and investors alike wait to see how this saga will play out. One thing is certain, however: Trump's plan has sparked a heated debate about the role of government in tech and the limits of executive power.