Trump Teases TikTok Timeframe Extension
U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that he may extend the deadline for TikTok’s U.S. operations to change ownership beyond June 19 if a resolution is not reached by then. In an interview with NBC News, Trump stated, "I’ll do that... I want it done," according to a Reuters report.
The Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance has already been granted two extensions by Congress to sell TikTok’s U.S. division. Initially set to take effect on January 19, the deadline was first extended to April and later to June 19, without Trump enforcing the original schedule.
Citing the app’s popularity among young voters ahead of the 2024 election, Trump expressed a certain "fondness" for TikTok. However, negotiations to establish a new U.S.-based entity with ByteDance involvement have been met with resistance from China, especially after Trump imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese imports.
Democratic senators have questioned the president’s authority to repeatedly extend the deadline, but Trump maintained that China is willing to reach a deal and added that tariffs could be reduced in the future.
