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The TikTok chief executive is planning to attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump and has been invited to sit in the seat of honor on the podium, where the former president, his family and distinguished guests sit. other values, two people familiar with the plan said Wednesday.
The invitation to the executive, Shou Chew, came from the Trump Vance inauguration committee, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Monday’s inauguration. Mr Chew will join tech moguls such as Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk at the event; Jeff Bezos was also invited.
TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, declined to comment.
Mr Trump’s support for TikTok marks a dramatic turnaround from 2020, when he tried to block the app in the US during his first term and forced its sale to US companies. He has warmed to the company in the past year, especially after his popularity and campaign on TikTok during last year’s election.
The Trump administration’s embrace of Mr. Chew is important because the app is teetering on the brink of death in the US. Congress passed a law last year saying ByteDance had to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese company or face a ban in the United States on Jan. 19, citing national security concerns. TikTok has been betting for years that it has defeated the law in court. More recently, he has turned to the goal of reaching a different solution with the Trump administration to prevent direct sales. The Supreme Court will rule on the law in the coming days.
Mr Trump has vowed to save the app in the US when he is inaugurated on January 20, although his options to do so are limited. Legal experts said that an area where Mr. Trump could step in is a section of the law that gives the president the power to determine whether ByteDance has done enough to remove TikTok from Chinese control.
Mr Trump publicly changed his views on TikTok last year, shortly after meeting with Jeff Yass, a Republican megadonor who owns a majority stake in ByteDance. Mr. Trump said they did not discuss the company. But Mr. Yass helped found the Susquehanna International Group and is one of the biggest supporters of the anti-tax group Club for Growth. former senior adviser to the incoming president, and Republican adviser David Urban, to attract TikTok in Washington.
Mr. Trump has also repeatedly talked about the success of content about him and his campaign on TikTok. His advisors saw the importance of participating in the site.
Mr. Trump met with TikTok executives on Dec. 16 at Mar-a-Lago, a Florida resort, according to an official familiar with the matter. this matter. Around the time of that meeting, TikTok officials told people in Mr. Trump, and possibly the president-elect, but Mr. Trump should decide the fate of TikTok, according to two people familiar with the relationship between the two parties. the other side, who spoke anonymously. Shortly after, Mr. Trump told reporters that he had a “warm spot” for TikTok and would look into the issue.
