Newly disclosed records show Attorney General Pam Bondi gave cover to not only Apple and Google, but also several other companies that help TikTok operate in the US.

In letters to companies including Apple and Google, Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote that Trump had decided that shutting down TikTok would interfere with his "constitutional duties," so the law banning the social media app must give way to his "core presidential national security and foreign affairs powers.

In purporting to license otherwise illegal conduct by tech firms, President Trump set a precedent expanding executive power, legal experts warned.