Exclusive: TikTok Execs Schmoozed Attendees at Trump Inauguration Dinner Amid Effort to Rescue App

Elon Musk shakes hands with Jared Kushner as Ivanka Trump and Jeff Bezos watch, before President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a candlelit dinner at the Building Museum on Sunday. AP Photo/Evan Vucci.

Top TikTok executives handed out business cards and schmoozed American business leaders at an elite donor dinner hosted by Donald and Melania Trump on the eve of his presidential inauguration on Sunday.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew and Vice President Michael Beckerman made the rounds at Trump’s private candlelight dinner held at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. on Sunday evening, according to an attendee who spoke with Mediaite on the condition of anonymity.

The black-tie dinner was attended by members of Trump’s family, including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Miriam Adelson.

Chew and Beckerman were “making the rounds last night; making a big argument for TikTok,” an eyewitness said. “They were schmoozing and speaking to anyone they could, handing out cards.”

The source said the executives expressed optimism about the future of the app after a law passed by Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court forced it to shut down for American users briefly over the weekend. Trump has vowed to pass an executive order reinstating the enormously popular video social media platform once he became president.

“TikTok is wasting no time cozying up to the new administration, tirelessly making the rounds and shamelessly pushing efforts to save the future of the app,” the attendee added.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, shut down for American users on Saturday night after the Supreme Court upheld a law passed by Congress meant to force China to divest from the company over concerns it could be a security risk for Americans.

When users tried to access the social platform, which boasts more than 170 million users in the United States, a message appeared: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”

The shutdown didn’t last long. Some 12 hours after the app became unusable in the United States, it welcomed back users: “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”

“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” TikTok said in a statement to CNN. “We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”

Trump called for TikTok to be shut down during his first term in office, citing security concerns over the company gathering data on American users that could be shared with the Chinese government.

Trump has since signaled his desire to rescue TikTok from congressional efforts to ban it in the United States, though its fate remains uncertain.

In a post to his social media platform Truth Social on Friday, Trump said: “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!”