President Donald Trump says he may extend the deadline for the sale of China’s TikTok app for a third time, adding that he believes a deal will eventually transpire.
On Tuesday, President Trump spoke to reporters on Air Force One, where he said he will likely extend the deadline for TikTok’s parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, to sell the app’s U.S. services or face a ban in the United States, according to a report by Reuters.
With ByteDance’s current June 19 deadline apporaching, TikTok is set to go dark for U.S. users on Thursday for the second time.
President Trump also told reporters that he thinks a deal to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to a non-Chinese buyer will eventually materialize, and that Chinese President Xi Jinping will ultimately agree to it.
“Probably, yeah,” the 45th and 47th president said on Tuesday, after he was asked about the matter, adding, “Probably have to get China approval but I think we’ll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve it.”
As Breitbart News reported last month, President Trump said he was open to giving ByteDance another extension on its June 19 deadline, noting he has “a little sweet spot in my heart” for TikTok, which he believes helped him reach young voters in the 2024 election.
On January 19, one day before Trump was sworn into office for his second White House term, TikTok briefly went dark for U.S. users after ByteDance failed to meet the requirements of a U.S. law demanding the app’s U.S. faction is sold or be banned in the United States.
Once Trump was sworn into office, the app came back for American users, with the the president giving ByteDance a 75-day reprieve and setting a new deadline for April 5.
After the Chinese company failed to meet its April deadline to sell TikTok’s U.S. services or be banned in the United States, the deadline was extended for a second time with President Trump giving ByteDance another 75 days — effectively giving it until June 19 to find a buyer.
Now, the Chinese company may receive a third reprieve while those involved in the situation work at securing a deal.
Notably, TikTok, which is used by 170 million Americans, has been under fire by U.S. lawmakers who cite a national security risk — among other issues — due to ByteDance being beholden to the Chinese Communist Party.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
