Comment by LatteLazy

This whole thing was just a side show. It:

* let trump claim headlines about being tough on China while rolling over for China.

* got trump cheap attention while distracting from real issues he can't be bothered to solve

* created some volatility and maybe let a donor snap up a deal on a growing tech company.

* was basically meaningless to 99% of his supporters who don't use tiktok or understand what it is and so wouldn't be upset or ask any questions

It achieved all of these and more, whether it worked or not.