Trump credits Charlie Kirk for TikTok push as China divestment deal advances
President says a deal with Xi Jinping would keep TikTok available in the U.S. by divesting ownership to American investors, and he credits Kirk for youth outreach
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday that a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping to keep TikTok available in the United States by divesting ownership to American investors is well under way, and he credited conservative activist Charlie Kirk for helping broaden support among young voters.
Trump said the two leaders spoke by phone Friday morning and reached an understanding on a framework to keep the social media platform operational in the U.S., with control of the U.S. operations shifted to American investors and managers. He described the plan as a victory for American users and said it would be overseen by “very powerful and very substantial American people.” He added that the deal is “a great deal for our country. It's a great deal for all of the young people in the country and for people generally.”
The backstory for the push, Trump said, includes his engagement with Kirk, who he said helped harness TikTok’s reach to mobilize younger voters. He noted the platform’s popularity among young Americans and highlighted Kirk’s advocacy for using TikTok as a political tool. “Charlie was very much in favor of TikTok; he liked TikTok,” Trump said, adding that Kirk encouraged the use of the app to reach younger audiences. He asserted that the outreach contributed to what he described as record youth engagement in the 2024 election and claimed, with a degree of confidence, that the results were favorable to his campaign.
The discussion comes as Trump has repeatedly delayed action on a 2024 congressional measure that would ban TikTok in the United States unless its ownership of U.S. operations is divested to American interests. The current talks with Beijing appear to be shaping toward a model in which TikTok’s U.S. operations would be controlled by American investors and executives, with ongoing oversight from U.S. regulators. Trump said the process remains ongoing and that a final signature would be required to complete the agreement, describing it as possibly a mere formality in the eyes of some observers. “I think so. And when you say fully approved, I don't know what that means, we have to get it signed, I guess,” he said, adding that the Chinese side wanted to see the deal advance and that American youth were eager for TikTok to remain accessible in the United States.
The White House released a video tribute to Charlie Kirk in connection with the TikTok push, a move that aligned with Trump’s emphasis on Kirk’s role in youth outreach and social-media strategy. The White House’s public messaging around Kirk’s involvement underscores the administration’s prioritization of a plan that would preserve access to the platform while addressing U.S. concerns about data security and content governance.
The broader context remains sensitive and politically charged. TikTok’s future in the United States has been the subject of a years-long policy debate, with lawmakers in both parties expressing concerns about data privacy, national security, and influence operations. The proposed divestment would be intended to address those concerns by ensuring that a majority of the platform’s U.S. operations are owned or controlled by American entities. Supporters argue the approach would preserve a widely popular communications tool for American users, while critics worry about political leverage and the concentration of control in the hands of a few large investors.
Trump’s framing of the deal as a victory for American youth aligns with his broader political messaging that emphasizes national sovereignty and tech control as part of his governance agenda. The claim that youth turnout helped propel his 2024 victory is central to the narrative, though independent analysts continue to weigh the extent of social media’s impact on election outcomes. As negotiations proceed, observers will be watching for concrete milestones such as final sign-offs, regulatory approvals, and the selection of American investors and managers who would assume governance duties for TikTok’s U.S. operations.
In this moment, the TikTok equation sits at the intersection of technology, national security, and electoral politics. The administration’s willingness to pursue a divestment model—coupled with a public display of bipartisanship around youth engagement—signals an approach that seeks to balance access to a popular platform with assurances that sensitive data and strategic influence remain in American hands. Whether the deal will meet the expectations of the White House, Congress, and American users remains to be seen as negotiations move toward a formal agreement and, potentially, a congressional review.
