Trump Meets with TikTok CEO Amidst Impending US Ban
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President-elect Donald Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, just weeks before the popular video app is set to be banned in the US over national security concerns, reports Bloomberg. The meeting comes just hours after Trump suggested he would try to reverse the ban, highlighting his apparent change in stance on the app.
"We'll take a look at TikTok," Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago earlier Monday. "You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok." Trump had previously attempted to ban TikTok in 2020 during his first term.
The specific details of the Trump-Chew meeting remain unclear. A TikTok spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. CNN first reported on the meeting.
The TikTok ban, scheduled for January 19, is mandated by a law signed by President Joe Biden. The ban will be enforced unless TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance Ltd., agrees to sell the app to an American owner.
TikTok has been actively challenging the law. Following a federal appeals court's decision this month to uphold the divestment or ban requirement and subsequent denial of TikTok's injunction request, the company has petitioned the Supreme Court for review.
Chew's meeting is part of a trend of tech leaders engaging with Trump ahead of his January inauguration. Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg had dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago the night before Thanksgiving, and Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook also met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago last week.