Trump Says He Will Likely Extend TikTok Divestment Deadline Again

Authored by Bill Pan via The Epoch Times,

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he will likely extend the deadline once again for TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company ByteDance.

Previous two extensions in January and April stalled a ban on TikTok by 75 days, temporarily saving the popular video-sharing app from a ban in the United States.

When asked whether he would give a third extension after the upcoming June 19 deadline, the president said, “Probably, yeah.”

He expressed optimism about a potential deal that would involve ByteDance selling U.S. assets of TikTok to a non-Chinese buyer.

“We probably have to get China approval. I think we’ll get it,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, as he traveled back from the G7 Summit in Canada.

“I think [Chinese leader] Xi [Jinping] will ultimately approve it,” he added.

When asked by reporters if he has the legal basis to extend the deadline again, Trump said, “Yeah, we do.”

The future of TikTok in the United States has remained uncertain because of persistent national security concerns, particularly those focusing on the Chinese communist regime’s ability to force ByteDance to hand over the massive amount of data it collects on its American users or manipulate the platform’s sophisticated algorithm to sway public opinion. These concerns stem in part from China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which obligates Chinese companies to cooperate with state intelligence operations.

In response, bipartisan legislation was passed to prohibit U.S. app stores from hosting TikTok unless ByteDance divests itself of the platform. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the measure, ruling that the divest-or-ban law does not violate the First Amendment.

After taking office, Trump gave TikTok an initial 75-day reprieve from the ban, extending the deadline to April 5. He signed an executive order on April 4, delaying the ban again and allowing more time for a potential deal to be finalized.

Over the past months, Trump has hinted that he was nearing an agreement with China regarding the app’s sale. He has also suggested that the tariffs are playing a role as leverage to pressure Beijing into approving the transaction.

“We had a deal pretty much for TikTok—not a deal but pretty close—and then China changed the deal because of the tariffs,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on April 6, a day after raising tariffs on China to 54 percent.

“If I gave a little cut in tariffs, they’d approve that deal in 15 minutes, which shows you the power of tariffs.”

A trade deal recently struck in London takes total tariffs on Beijing to 55 percent.

Among the companies and individuals reportedly interested in acquiring TikTok are online retail giant Amazon and Tim Stokely, the British entrepreneur who founded OnlyFans. ByteDance has not publicly confirmed any negotiations with potential buyers, nor has it officially indicated a willingness to sell the platform.