TikTok on the verge of being kicked out of the U.S., SOS to Musk.

The Wall Street Journal reported that TikTok, a Chinese video-sharing platform on the verge of being kicked out of the U.S., is in contact with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has emerged as a heavyweight in the second Trump administration.

TikTok CEO Chu Shouz expected Musk, whom he has known for years, to serve as a link to Trump's side, but reportedly did not clearly discuss how to operate TikTok in the U.S.

TikTok's parent company, China's ByteDance executives, who were briefed by Chu on his contact with Musk, were cautiously optimistic about TikTok's future, the Wall Street Journal said.

TikTok will be banned from use in the U.S. unless ByteDance sells its U.S. business rights by January next year, under a forced sale law handled amid bipartisan support from U.S. ruling and opposition parties following national security concerns.

Trump, who pushed for a TikTok ban during the first administration, changed his position during the presidential election, saying, "If TikTok is banned, young people will be angry," but it is difficult to reverse the TikTok ban without congressional cooperation.