TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew met with President-elect Donald Trump on Monday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. The meeting marks the latest engagement between the incoming president and prominent tech leaders ahead of Inauguration Day.
Chew and Trump Discuss TikTok’s Fate
The meeting comes at a critical time for TikTok as the platform faces an uncertain future in the United States. TikTok has filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court to delay the enforcement of a law that could ban the video-sharing app nationwide as early as next month. The law mandates that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divest from the platform or face prohibition in U.S. app stores and networks.
President-elect Trump, who has publicly expressed some opposition to the “divest-or-ban” law, reiterated his support for TikTok on the campaign trail. However, he has yet to provide specific details on how he plans to safeguard the app.
When asked on Monday about preventing the ban, Trump responded, “I will take a look.” During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, he added, “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” claiming the app played a role in his popularity among young voters. “I won youth by 34 points, and there are those that say that TikTok had something to do with it,” Trump said.
It remains unclear whether Trump’s remarks were made before or after his meeting with Chew.
TikTok Appeals s in Supreme Court
TikTok’s appeal requests the Supreme Court to pause the January 19 deadline for ByteDance’s divestment until the justices address TikTok’s First Amendment claims as part of their normal docket. The law in question, signed by President Joe Biden last April, effectively requires ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a nationwide ban.
ByteDance has argued that divestment is practically unfeasible, framing the law as an indirect attempt to impose a blanket ban on TikTok in the United States.
The meeting with Chew is part of a series of discussions Trump has held with major tech executives this month. Among those who have met with Trump are Apple CEO Tim Cook, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
Trump is expected to meet with Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos on Tuesday and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos later this week, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Tech Industry Efforts to Court Trump
Observers have suggested that these meetings reflect broader efforts by the tech industry to establish closer ties with Trump ahead of his second term. This is particularly notable in light of Trump’s growing alliance with Elon Musk, who owns the social platform X, as well as SpaceX and Tesla.
Last week, Meta and Amazon each announced contributions of $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also pledged $1 million from his personal funds, signaling significant financial support from the tech sector as Trump prepares to take office.
Also Read: Why Has TikTok Asked The Supreme Court For An Emergency Order To Block US Ban?
