TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to attend Trump’s inauguration as US ban looms

TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew is heading to Washington, D.C., not for damage control but to watch Donald Trump’s second inauguration from one of the most coveted seats in the house.

According to reports, Chew will sit on the dais alongside tech giants like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos.

Google’s Sundar Pichai will also attend, making it a veritable who’s who of tech leaders. The timing is almost poetic, as TikTok’s future in the U.S. hangs by a thread with a possible ban just days away.

This unexpected gathering comes after weeks of legal battles, high-level political discussions, and mounting pressure on ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell its U.S. operations to an American firm.

ByteDance hasn’t budged, and with Sunday’s deadline looming, the stakes couldn’t be higher for TikTok and its 170 million American users.

Trump’s change on TikTok and the ban’s complex politics

Donald Trump’s relationship with TikTok has been anything but consistent. Once a fierce critic of the app, calling it a national security threat and promising to ban it during his first term, Trump has recently changed his opinion.

During his campaign, TikTok became a powerful tool for rallying voters, a move that played no small part in his return to the White House. Now, as president-elect, Trump has filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, urging justices to delay enforcing the ban to allow his administration time to strike a deal.

“Why would I want to get rid of TikTok?” Trump posted on Truth Social, attaching a graphic showcasing his massive reach on the platform. His legal team argued that a negotiated resolution would protect free speech for millions of Americans who rely on TikTok to connect, entertain, and inform.

At the heart of the controversy is a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations, citing concerns over Chinese government influence and potential data misuse. Chief Justice John Roberts didn’t mince words during last Friday’s hearing, pointing out that TikTok’s parent company, based in Beijing, is subject to Chinese intelligence laws.

“Are we supposed to ignore the fact that the ultimate parent is, in fact, subject to doing intelligence work for the Chinese government?” he asked during arguments.

The Supreme Court hasn’t issued a ruling yet, leaving TikTok in limbo. If the law is upheld, ByteDance must sell its U.S. operations by Sunday or face removal from app stores like Google Play and Apple’s App Store. Without a sale, the app could remain operational but without critical updates, leaving users vulnerable to bugs and security risks.

Biden administration explores options

Outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration has also been working on a contingency plan to avoid TikTok going dark. An unnamed official hinted at the possibility of a temporary solution, saying, “Americans shouldn’t expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday.”

However, the White House made it clear that deferring enforcement isn’t an option, with one official stating, “Statutorily, we don’t believe we have the authority to do that.”

TikTok has considered several last-ditch options, including keeping the app running without updates or bug fixes. But ByteDance’s refusal to sell has left its U.S. subsidiary teetering on the edge. Meanwhile, millions of American users have already started downloading alternative apps from Chinese developers, raising similar national security concerns.

The law targeting TikTok passed as part of a $95 billion spending package, has drawn criticism from lawmakers like Rep. Ro Khanna and Sen. Ed Markey. Both have called on the White House to extend the deadline for divestment, arguing that a sudden ban would disrupt the lives of millions of Americans who rely on the app for everything from entertainment to business.

“I’m hopeful that President Biden will listen to the millions of voices who don’t want the lights to go out on this app,” Khanna said, pointing out the app’s significance in American culture and commerce. Sen. Markey shares those sentiments, saying he’s pressed White House officials to delay enforcement but has yet to receive a clear response.

Trump’s team eyes negotiated sale

Incoming Trump officials, including national security adviser Mike Waltz, have signaled that the president-elect is prepared to step in to preserve TikTok’s access to the U.S. market. Waltz told Fox News that TikTok’s importance to American users and its role as a campaigning tool make it a priority for the new administration.

Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, added to the uncertainty by refusing to commit to enforcing the ban during her Senate confirmation hearing. This hesitance, combined with Trump’s shifting position, suggests that a negotiated sale could be on the table.

Congressional Republicans, like Rep. Mike McCaul and Sen. John Kennedy, have made it clear that divestiture is the only viable path forward for TikTok. “They have to divest by law,” McCaul said, describing Trump as a “top negotiator” who could broker a deal that satisfies both national security concerns and the app’s American users.

Kennedy said, “What I’m hoping for is the owners of TikTok come forward and say, ‘We will never share Americans’ data with the Communist Party of China and here’s how that will be enforced: divesting from the parent company.’”

He warned that ByteDance’s current ownership poses a risk not just to Congress but to American children. As the Sunday deadline looms, all eyes are on Washington. The drama surrounding TikTok is as much about politics as it is about technology, with the app becoming a flashpoint in the ongoing battle between the U.S. and China.

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