A source familiar with the arrangements told NBC News that President-elect Donald Trump is meeting with Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, on Monday in anticipation of a potential ban on the video app in the United States.
At a press conference earlier in the day, Trump stated that he had a soft spot for TikTok and that he would consider banning the app.
President Joe Biden signed a federal bill last year that would prohibit TikTokin from entering the United States on January 19 unless its Chinese owners consent to selling their stake. The statute was affirmed this month by a federal appeals court, and TikTok sought the Supreme Court on Monday to halt it. Biden might potentially give the app a 90-day temporary reprieve.
The day after the bill goes into effect, on January 20, Trump is expected to take the oath of office.
According to the source, Trump and Chew were supposed to meet at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
A request for comment on the scheduled meeting was not immediately answered by TikTok.
Trump did not bring up the meeting with Chew during his press conference on Monday, but he did state that he believes his use of TikTok contributed to his election success. Youth was won by me by 34 points. And some people believe that TikTok is involved in that, he added. In a nationwide exit survey, Trump lost support from voters between the ages of 18 and 29.
During his first time in office, Trump attempted to ban TikTokin 2020, but the courts stopped his attempt. This year, he took a different stance, shocking some of his supporters but appeasing others, such as Republican megadonor Jeff Yass, a significant TikTok investor.
Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are in favor of the ban, arguing that TikTok’s Chinese ownership threatens user privacy and the information environment by potentially manipulating content.
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