Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok, has been invited to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration and will sit in a prominent spot on the dais, typically reserved for former presidents and important guests, according to two sources.
The invitation came from the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee, and Chew will join other tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, declined to comment.
This marks a reversal from 2020, when Trump tried to ban TikTok in the U.S. and push for its sale to American companies. However, Trump’s views changed as TikTok became important in his 2020 campaign, helping him reach younger voters.
TikTok faces potential restrictions in the U.S. after a law requiring ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban by January 19. The app is challenging this in court and seeking a deal with the Trump administration to avoid a forced sale. The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon.
Trump has pledged to protect TikTok in the U.S. after his inauguration on January 20, with legal experts suggesting he could intervene on a part of the law that gives the president authority to assess ByteDance’s control over TikTok.
Trump’s stance shifted after meeting Jeff Yass, a major investor in ByteDance. TikTok executives later met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, suggesting he should decide the app’s future. Trump then publicly expressed his support for TikTok.
