It’s been a pretty historic week. Donald Trump was inaugurated into his second presidential term, and the first big item on the agenda was TikTok. Via an executive order, he granted the app a 75-day reprieve, giving the platform more time to accept a deal before it gets banned for good.
A lot has happened since then, which we at Passionfruit have dutifully covered for you, so for all your crucial TikTok-related updates and more, keep reading.
Welcome Back, TikTok
It feels like decades have passed since Jan. 19, but after a brief shutdown last Sunday, TikTok is officially back. The platform went dark after claiming that Joe Biden’s White House failed to provide clarity over whether service providers would be punished for hosting the app.
A few hours following this radical move, which Biden’s White House called a “stunt,” the app was once again operational. Users were greeted by a pop-up window reading: “Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
TikTok’s return was then cemented on Jan. 20 with President Trump’s executive order granting the app a 75-day extension of the “ban or sell” deadline. Still, the future of TikTok feels unclear.
To learn more, check out our two articles covering the issue.
Is MrBeast Buying TikTok?
Just when you’re getting a bit bored of Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson, he goes and makes himself relevant again. On Jan. 13, he said in a post on X, “Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned.” But what started as a joke quickly became something more serious.
Just over a week later, on Jan. 21, billionaire Jesse Tinsley announced that he, Employees.com, and Donaldson had formally submitted their offer to ByteDance.
I”The leading groups who are all credible bidding on TikTok have reached out for us to help them, I’m excited to partner/make this a reality,” Donaldson added in an X post. “Big things cooking.”
But just because MrBeast can buy TikTok, does that mean he should?
This is a question explored in our full article, which you can read here.
TikTok Secrets Exposed: The Threat Of Shutdown Lead To A Wave of Confessions
In the days leading up to Jan. 19, many creators believed that they were really seeing the end of TikTok. This led to the emergence of a popular Family Guy meme that consists of Peter Griffin saying: “Since we’re all gonna die, there’s one more secret I feel I have to share with you.”
In turn, TikTokers used this sound to start sharing their own secrets. Mukbangers admitted to not eating all the food, while others shared that supposedly “spontaneous” interviews were actually set up in advance.
“In general, online content should never be taken at face value,” writer Steven Asarch adds in his article on the topic. “If you see a heartbreaking story or an influencer attempting a challenge, you should constantly be questioning what you see. The internet is full of liars, and few systems are in place to force the truth.”
You can read the full article here.
Aesthetics and The Manosphere at Trump’s Second Inauguration
Writer Liz Plank visited DC for the People’s March and inauguration. This was her second time doing this, having done it before for Trump’s first inauguration back in 2017 — but this time, she reported that it was like a “parallel universe.”
In her piece, she explores the “vibe shift” that has happened between Trump’s first and second inauguration. The crowds, for instance, were starkly different: evolving from a mostly older demographic to predominately young men. This, she added, can be attributed to Trump’s appeal to the “manosphere” this election, appearing on podcasts and streams with the likes of Logan Paul and Adin Ross.
So, where does MAGA 2.0 go from here? You can read the full piece here.
`Legislators Introduce Bill To Repeal TikTok Ban
As we know, Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 to delay TikTok’s ban by 75 days. But it should be noted that this doesn’t undo the “ban or sell” law. Unless Trump can make a deal with TikTok, the app will soon be gone once again.
This is why two lawmakers, Senator Rand Paul and US Representative Ro Khanna, introduced the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act bill. This bill’s main function is to repeal the “ban or sell” law, with both Paul and Khanna both claiming that banning TikTok would be a violation of users’ freedom of speech.
Will this bill actually be passed? To find out more check out the full piece here.
Passionfruit on YouTube: The Reactorverse Podcast Episode 47
In the first 2025 episode of the Reactorverse, host Eric Rodriguez was joined by Igil and Cory from reaction channel the Raggedy Pack. The YouTube collective, who are based in different corners around the globe, has reacted to a wide range of old and new media over the years, from classics like Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill to the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen.
The Pack’s cross-global chemistry and entertaining reactions have led to them amassing 46,100 YouTube subscribers and counting. For our full chat with them, check out the video linked above.
