Summary
- TikTok CEO thanked President-elect Trump for being willing to work on solutions for keeping the social media app in the U.S.
- His statement was issued shortly after the Supreme Court upheld the law banning TikTok, which is set to go into effect on January 19.
- Since President-elect Trump will be inaugurated a day later, the Biden administration said it will leave the enforcement of the anti-TikTok legislation up to him.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has thanked President-elect Trump for being cooperative in finding a solution to keep the social media app in the United States. This remark was offered as part of a more comprehensive comment on the Supreme Court decision to uphold the law banning TikTok.
During his first term as U.S. President, Trump signed an executive order to ban TikTok. Some industry watchers framed this decision as an extension of the former administration’s trade war with China, where TikTok developer ByteDance hails from. However, Trump changed his stance on the social media app in the years that followed. While on the campaign trail in June 2024, the then-presidential candidate proclaimed he would “save TikTok” if elected back into the White House.
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Hours after the Supreme Court upheld the law banning TikTok on January 17, the CEO of the platform, Shou Chew, shared an 85-second video statement on the decision, in which he acknowledged the president-elect’s newfound willingness to help the social media app. “I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States,” Chew said. The executive also flattered the incoming administration by stating TikTok is thankful to enjoy the support of a president who “truly understands” it. Elaborating on that note, Chew highlighted President-elect Trump’s past usage of the platform, which generated over 60 billion views.
TikTok CEO’s First Statement on the January 17 Supreme Court Decision
A Brief Recap of the TikTok Ban Law
The law banning TikTok is officially known as the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, designated H.R.7521. The anti-TikTok legislation first passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan majority (352-65) in March 2024 before receiving similar approval in the Senate (79-18) a month later. President Biden signed H.R.7521 into law on April 24, 2024. The legislation will officially go into effect on Sunday, January 19.
I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States.
Biden Administration Won’t Enforce the TikTok Ban, Leaving it to Trump
However, now that the Supreme Court has upheld the law, the Biden administration issued a statement saying it has no intention of enforcing it. Since President-elect Trump is set to be inaugurated on January 20, a mere day after the ban goes into effect, the outgoing administration is leaving the issue of its enforcement to its successor.
TikTok’s U.S. Future Is Unclear
The H.R.7521 leaves open the possibility of TikTok remaining in the U.S. if sold to an American company, though the likelihood of this happening remains unclear. In theory, the Trump administration could choose not to enforce the legislation. Congress might then try to force its hand through legal challenges or presidential impeachment, among other means of reproach. However, with the Republican Party holding a majority in both the House and Senate of the 119th U.S. Congress, it’s dubious whether such measures would be seriously considered, even though the GOP overwhelmingly supports the TikTok ban.
Source: RealDonaldTrump / TikTok
