U.S. President Donald Trump said he would consider extending the June 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations if no agreement is reached, citing the platform’s importance and broader trade concerns with China.
In an interview taped Friday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and aired Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said, “I would… I’d like to see it done,” expressing openness to further delays. TikTok, which boasts over 170 million users in the U.S., played a significant role in Trump’s 2024 campaign outreach to younger voters.
While the Biden-era law required TikTok to cease U.S. operations by January 19 unless a sale was completed, Trump, upon beginning his second term on January 20, has already delayed enforcement twice—first to early April, then to June 19.
The proposed deal would have spun off TikTok into a U.S.-based entity majority-owned by American investors. However, talks stalled after China objected to the structure, especially after Trump imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese imports. Trump said China was eager for a resolution but emphasized he wouldn’t lower tariffs simply to facilitate TikTok negotiations.
“At some point, I’m going to lower them because otherwise you could never do business with them. And they want to do business very much,” Trump added.
Democratic lawmakers argue the president lacks the legal authority to unilaterally extend the deadline and claim any future deal must meet legal and national security standards.
Despite political opposition and uncertainty, sources close to ByteDance’s U.S. investors say work on the deal continues, contingent on progress in resolving the broader U.S.-China trade standoff.
Source: CNN
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