In recent weeks, a number of technology leaders and companies have filed lawsuits against President-elect Donald J. Trump. Everyone from Meta's Mark Zuckerberg to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago, spoke flatteringly about X and donated to Trump's startup fund. .
But TikTok has taken those techniques to the next level.
Since Friday, the Chinese-owned social app has publicly noted and thanked Trump for his support in statements and videos as it battles a federal law that bans the app in the United States unless it is sold. It also included a compliment into the app so that its 170 million U.S. users could see it.
A pop-up message on Sunday read: “TikTok is back in the US as a result of President Trump's efforts!”
TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Chu filmed a video last week thanking Trump and also referenced the president's personal TikTok account. Mr. Chu also visited Mr. Trump at Mar-a-Lago and was invited to sit in a position of honor on the stage at Mr. Trump's inauguration on Monday.
Anupam Chander, a professor of law and technology at Georgetown University and an expert on the global regulation of new technologies, said that while facing the ban, TikTok will “do whatever it takes to please the authorities.” said.
“TikTok is seeking the president's favor in this way because its very existence in this country depends on him,” Chander said in an interview Sunday. “They're making sure they stay on his side because he's their lifeblood.”
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump may not be able to save the app long term as he has declared. He vowed early Sunday to issue an executive order giving TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance more time to make a legal sale, but it remains unclear whether the deadline could be extended now that the law is in effect. It's unknown. We keep in mind sales that meet the legal requirements. Trump seems committed. Even before the post promising the executive order, he posted in all caps on the social media platform Truth Social, “Save TIKTOK!”
The Biden administration also sought to clarify this weekend that TikTok does not need to be shut down on Sunday to meet the law, calling the decision to go dark a “stunt.”
“We have made our position clear and forthright, and it will be up to the next administration to take action to implement this law,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
Trump's support for TikTok is relatively new. During his first term, he tried to ban ByteDance's app domestically unless it sold it to U.S. companies.
But in March 2024, around the time of his meeting with Jeff Yass, the billionaire investor and Republican megadonor who owns a significant stake in ByteDance, he reversed his stance. Trump said he did not discuss the company. Mr. Yass helped found the trading company Susquehanna International Group.
TikTok has also sought connections to the Republican Party and the Trump campaign through Tony Sayegh, a former Trump administration finance official. Sayegh, who heads up public relations for Susquehanna, was a key figure in the Trump campaign's decision to join TikTok this summer.
Trump quickly became popular on TikTok, where he currently has more than 14 million followers. Donald Trump Jr. and several members of his family, including granddaughter Kai Trump, are also on the app.
