'I Think It's Really Stupid What Trump Is Doing': TikTokers Speak Up About the State of Their Union

TikTok's future is as uncertain as anything else in 2020. That doubt's shadow was cast large when President Donald Trump declared that TikTok may be banned in America after security concerns made national headlines. Now, the famous faces of the app are breaking down how the ban will affect everyone.

"For two to five months, maybe, everybody is going to take a big hit. Everyone is going to lose a stream of revenue. I think it's really stupid... what Trump is doing," Adam Miguest, 27, whose TikTok username is @itsadamm, told Reuters.

For creators, TikTok's future will be decided by who owns the content shared there. Right now, it's owned by ByteDance, a Chinese tech company that Trump has deemed a threat to American security. Several companies have been reumored to buy TikTok from ByteDance, a few of the latest including Microsoft and Walmart. If a deal goes through, TikTok's future may be stable.

There's a reason people care about the fate of the app. Some of TikTok's highest-earning celebrities, some of whom aren't yet legal adults, bring in around $5 million using the platform, according to Forbes.

If content creators are forced to leave TikTok, other social media apps are stepping up their game in the hopes of luring them. Instagram revealed a competitor platform called Reels in August. But it still doesn't seem to have taken quite as much as TikTok, which has been downloaded over two billion times since April.

For many, TikTok has been a place of safety and escapism for many users stressed by global turmoil. It's served as an internet safe haven, while seamlessly crafting the identity of Gen Z, setting trends, skyrocketing new, once entirely unknown musicians, to the iTunes charts. It's made discovering talent in unlikely places a daily occurrence.

"I feel like if it gets taken away, I feel it's going to hurt more rather than benefit... I just wish that they understood that TikTok really does have an impact on our world today and our generation especially," 18-year-old Claire Hesser told Reuters.

Now, the future of the app could be entirely defunct, a fall as quick as the unprecedented rise to fame many of TikTok's biggest stars witnessed nearly overnight. If it is really banned, TikTokers will likely turn to YouTube and Instagram to continue entertaining followers. A decision about TikTok's potential sale should be revealed by September 15.