Barron Trump may soon find himself in an unexpected spotlight — as a potential board member of TikTok.
The 19-year-old son of President Donald Trump is reportedly being considered for a top role at the $14 billion streaming app after his father finalized a deal to spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
The idea came from Jake Advent, Trump’s former social media strategist and the mastermind behind the meme-driven 2024 presidential campaign that helped propel Trump back to the White House. Known by the president as “TikTok Jack,” Advent told the Daily Mail he hopes Trump will tap Barron — and possibly other young Americans — to guide the platform’s future.
“I’m hopeful President Trump will consider appointing his son Barron and maybe other young Americans to TikTok’s board to help ensure it remains an app young people want to keep using,” Advent said.
Trump has repeatedly credited his youngest son with helping him win over younger voters. Barron, now studying at New York University, reportedly advised his father on online influencers and TikTok creators during the campaign.
“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” Trump told Fox News earlier this year. “I won youth by 34 points, and there are those who say TikTok had something to do with it. Joe Rogan helped, and some other people Barron recommended — he knew names that made an impact, and TikTok made an impact.”
Last month, Trump signed an executive order mandating that TikTok “be majority-owned and controlled by United States persons and no longer under the control of any foreign adversary.” He celebrated by posting a video on TikTok itself, declaring: “To all the young people of TikTok — I saved TikTok, so you owe me big. Now you’re looking at me in the Oval Office, and someday one of you will be sitting at this desk doing a great job too.”
The U.S.-China deal came just days before a nationwide TikTok ban was set to take effect.
The move follows legislation signed by then-President Joe Biden in April 2024, requiring ByteDance to reduce its ownership stake in TikTok to 20 percent or face an outright ban in the United States.
TikTok has long faced scrutiny in Washington over national security concerns, with lawmakers alleging the app could be used by Beijing to collect data on Americans — claims the company has consistently denied.
Trump himself once sought to block TikTok during his first term, but reversed course ahead of the 2024 election, pledging to prevent a federal ban. Now, after brokering the high-stakes spin-off, he appears eager to solidify the app’s American future — potentially with Barron playing a key role.