With a January ban looming, will Trump flip the script in the US for the future of the embattled social media app?
Marrakech – Donald Trump welcomed TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday, as the social media platform continues its legal battle to prevent a federal ban.
The meeting comes as TikTok has requested the U.S. Supreme Court’s intervention in its ongoing fight to keep operating in the country.
The meeting between Chew and Trump at Mar-a-Lago marks their first in-person encounter since Trump’s November victory, sources told CNN.
Chew, who visited the Florida resort in early December, has long sought a meeting with the president-elect.
This session is part of a broader effort by Trump to engage with leading tech executives.
Just hours before the meeting, TikTok requested that the U.S. Supreme Court step in to address a legal dispute over a looming law.
The law mandates that TikTok either sell to a non-Chinese owner or face a nationwide ban, with the deadline set for January 19.
If TikTok is not sold by the January 19 deadline, American app stores and internet services could face significant fines for hosting the app.
However, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has consistently stated it has no intention of selling TikTok.
Under the legislation, the president has the authority to grant a one-time extension of the deadline.
The president-elect has in the past criticized the platform, but this meeting signals a shift.
“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points, and there are those who say TikTok had something to do with it,” Trump remarked during his first press conference since the election.
However, CNN’s 2024 exit polls show Trump actually lost 18-29-year-old voters to Kamala Harris by 11 points.
