US President Donald Trump described TikTok as “very popular with young people” and stated that he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday in an attempt to finalize a deal over the short-video platform. During his 2024 reelection campaign, Donald Trump attributed his success to TikTok, calling it a potent instrument for voter outreach.
He emphasized that the financial and technological advantages of TikTok should stay in the United States, saying, “I would rather have it owned by straight, legitimate companies here.”
The US President did not elaborate on the specifics of his scheduled meeting with Xi Jinping.
Amid rising trade tensions, TikTok, which has over 170 million users in the US, has been at the center of drawn-out talks between Washington and Beijing.
Donald Trump declared earlier this week that the US and China had come to an agreement that would allow TikTok to stay in business in the US and transfer its US assets from Beijing-based ByteDance to American shareholders.
Congress, which in 2024 approved a bill under then-President Joe Biden mandating TikTok’s divestiture due to concerns that the Chinese government could access American user data, is likely to scrutinize any accord. Lawmakers have issued many warnings that the software might be used for influence or spying purposes.
Despite inheriting the law, the Donald Trump administration postponed its implementation three times, claiming that a TikTok ban would upset millions of users and impede political discourse.
Donald Trump has previously publicly praised TikTok’s contribution to his election victory. Over 15 million people follow his personal account, and this month the White House created its own official TikTok account.
