Barron Trump, the 19-year-old son of US President Donald Trump, is being tipped for a major position on TikTok’s board as conversations grow around the platform’s new leadership structure.
The talks gained attention after Jack Advent, the president’s former social media manager, publicly suggested that Barron should be appointed to a top role on the board to attract younger users.
“Young people are overwhelmingly the user base of TikTok,” Advent told the Daily Mail. “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.”
Barron recently moved back into the White House while attending classes at New York University’s DC campus.
Although he has not reacted to the claims, his growing visibility in political circles has drawn public attention. His mother, First Lady Melania Trump, has previously said that he played a key role in Trump’s 2024 election victory.
The president has also credited his son for pushing him to connect with younger audiences during the campaign. Trump said Barron suggested he appear on Joe Rogan’s popular podcast to reach new voters.
Trump’s own relationship with TikTok has been marked by a shift from hostility to control. During his first term, he claimed the app “threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information.” But in January 2025, he reversed a planned ban and signed an executive order that allowed American investors to take charge of the platform’s US operations.
Advent, who worked closely with Trump and was nicknamed “TikTok Jack,” praised the president’s decision. He told the Daily Mail that Trump has “delivered on his promise to save TikTok,” a statement that reflects Trump’s own words.
In his first post on TikTok after signing the order, Trump declared, “To all of those young people of TikTok, I saved TikTok, so you owe me big.”
The new arrangement gives American companies about 65 percent ownership of TikTok’s US business, while ByteDance and other Chinese investors hold less than 20 percent.
Trump announced that the investment group will be led by Oracle, chaired by 81-year-old billionaire Larry Ellison, alongside Rupert Murdoch and Dell CEO Michael Dell. He described the group as “great investors.”
Trump’s post sparked mixed reactions. Some users praised him, saying he “saved everything,” while others wrote, “Please don’t manipulate TikTok.”
The president has also expressed interest in how the platform handles political content. “I always like MAGA-related,” he said. “If I could, I’d make it 100% MAGA-related.” He later added that “every group will be treated fairly.”
The White House, Jack Advent, and TikTok have yet to issue any official response to the growing speculation about Barron’s possible appointment.
