Following Supreme Court Decision — And Trump’s Call with the Chinese President — TikTok CEO Thanks President-Elect for Vowing to Help the App Remain in the US

Following Trump’s call with Chinese president Xi Jinping, TikTok CEO Chew thanks the President-elect for vowing to help the platform remain in the US.

President-elect Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping have been in contact, with a phone call on Friday where they discussed trade, fentanyl, and TikTok. Now, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has released a video thanking Trump for supporting the company’s efforts to remain available in the United States.

In his first public statement since the Supreme Court upheld the law banning the app just hours earlier, Chew’s video on TikTok praised Trump’s recent support. “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,” said Chew. “This is a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.”

“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process.”

Chew’s video was posted shortly after the Supreme Court upheld the law that will see TikTok banned from the United States on January 19. It was also posted shortly after the Biden administration announced it would not enforce the ban itself, punting that responsibility to the Trump administration. Trump’s inauguration and his return to the White House takes place on January 20, just a day after the TikTok “D-Day.”

Trump confirmed on his Truth Social platform he had spoken with President Xi, calling the conversation “a very good one” for both countries. “President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the world more peaceful and safe,” wrote Trump.

The US relationship with China is expected to be a significant focus of Trump’s second term in office. He threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods by as much as 60% during his campaign and pledged an additional 10% hike over allegations China had failed to curb the flow of illicit drugs — namely fentanyl — into the United States.

Notably, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Vice President Han Zheng would attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony in lieu of President Xi himself. Trump extended the highly unusual invitation to Xi in December, but no head of state has ever attended a US president’s inauguration.

Meanwhile, TikTok CEO Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, along with many other tech executives who have been granted a place of honor at the dais. These include Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg.