Trump recalls Charlie Kirk’s TikTok advice during deal signing: ‘He helped me a lot’
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump has just signed an executive order making the TlkTok deal official, saving the platform and putting it under majority American control
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 25, 2025
America will now control the algorithm. The Chinese Communist Party will no longer poison the minds of our kids. pic.twitter.com/S6JGOvCEXz
WASHINGTON, DC: As President Donald Trump signed the executive order finalizing the deal to transfer control of TikTok to American investors, he credited Charlie Kirk, who introduced him to the platform. This was following negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the end of a month-long standoff with China over the app.
Trump credits Charlie Kirk for saving TikTok and boosting young voter support
BREAKING: President Trump signs an executive order saving TikTok and praises Charlie Kirk for urging him to get on the platform during his 2024 campaign.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 25, 2025
"Charlie helped me a lot. He said to me, 'Go on TikTok.' We got record votes with young voters.”
pic.twitter.com/ZJtnsClg1Y
Speaking at the Oval Office, Trump took a moment to remember slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot to death on September 10, sending shockwaves through conservative circles across the United States.
Trump credited Kirk for helping him win the support of young voters, including through TikTok during the 2024 election.
“Charlie helped me a lot, too! He said to me, ‘You should go on TikTok, and it actually helped. We got record votes with the young voters! It was very meaningful,” Trump told reporters.
Trump, Xi Jinping strike deal to keep TikTok in the US
The new agreement was reached after negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which now allows TikTok to continue operating in the United States.
As part of the deal, the platform will be separated from its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance.
Taking to Truth Social last week, Trump announced, “The call was a very good one. We will be speaking again by phone — appreciate the TikTok approval, and both look forward to meeting at APEC!"
US to control 80% of TikTok operations under Trump-Xi deal
According to the agreement, US companies will take over 80 percent of the platform’s operations, including control of the licensed version of its recommendation algorithm.
ByteDance, along with other Chinese investors, will retain a 20 percent stake.
The White House confirmed that the US version of TikTok will be overseen by a new seven-member board, mostly composed of Americans with cybersecurity and national security expertise.
PRESIDENT TRUMP SAVES TIKTOK! pic.twitter.com/GBntfhCKrQ
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) September 25, 2025
The consortium of US investors will be led by Oracle, under co-founder Larry Ellison, which will provide cloud services for data storage and management of the algorithm.
Other investors include Silver Lake, media moguls Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell. The White House stressed that ByteDance and Chinese authorities will not have access to American user data.
TikTok deal addresses security concerns over Chinese data influence
The deal followed months of uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the United States, where the app has roughly 180 million users. Lawmakers from both parties have consistently raised concerns about data security and Chinese influence.
Last year, Congress passed legislation requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a nationwide ban. The Supreme Court upheld that decision in January this year.
