Topline
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that President Donald Trump will soon extend a deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based owners, to divest the social media app before Thursday, marking his third delay after an earlier deal for the platform fell through.
An order to keep TikTok operational in the U.S. for another 75 days was signed by Trump in April.
Key Facts
Leavitt said Trump will sign another executive order to keep TikTok operational in the U.S. for another 90 days, noting the extra time would be used by the Trump administration “to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure.”
Trump told reporters on Air Force One he would “probably” extend a June 19 deadline for ByteDance to divest from TikTok or sell its assets to an American firm, adding, “Probably have to get China approval, but I think we’ll get it.”
Another extension would be Trump’s third delaying a forced sale or divestment of TikTok, following earlier orders pushing back the deadline on Jan. 20 and April 4, when a deal was reportedly in place for TikTok’s operations to be spun off into a new U.S.-based company before Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs derailed the talks.
Trump told NBC News last month he would “like to see [a deal] done” for TikTok, adding he had a “little sweet spot in my heart” for the social media platform and he would be “willing to give it [the deadline] an extension” if needed.
What We Don’t Know
It’s unclear whether Trump can continue delaying TikTok’s ban. John Acevedo, a law professor at Emory University, argued Trump could continue to delay enforcing legislation for TikTok’s ban through executive orders, though he could be forced to allow the ban if challenged by Congress or a court. Under the bill, Trump has the power to delay the ban for up to 90 days if there is “significant progress” toward a deal.
Who Could Buy Tiktok?
Several companies have emerged as potential suitors for TikTok’s assets, including Amazon, Oracle and Microsoft. Amazon’s bid for TikTok would include the entire company, unnamed people familiar with the offer told the New York Times, though some parties involved in the talks “do not appear to be taking Amazon’s bid seriously.” AppLovin reportedly made an offer for TikTok and spoke with billionaire Steve Wynn about backing the deal, after the company told the Trump administration it could address national security concerns about the app if it held ownership. The White House previously spoke with Oracle about a deal that would give the company oversight of TikTok’s U.S. data, Politico reported. Trump has also named Microsoft as a possible buyer while saying he hoped there would be a “bidding war” for TikTok.
Surprising Fact
Users on TikTok and other social media platforms took credit for attendance at a parade celebrating the Army’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 79th birthday. Some users advertised how to reserve tickets for the event, noting they had no intention of attending, as other users—including some claiming to be from Europe—said they reserved tickets and wouldn’t attend. Social media users used similar tactics for one of Trump’s election rallies in 2020, though tickets were not required for Saturday’s parade.
Key Background
Legislation requiring TikTok to sell itself to an American company or be banned in the U.S. was signed under President Joe Biden last year. That law followed growing bipartisan national security concerns about the app in recent years, after reports claimed China relied on TikTok’s U.S. data to spy on Americans. Forbes previously reported the app spied on journalists, mishandled advertiser data and stored financial data of some creators in China, though ByteDance has denied claims user privacy was compromised. Trump supported a ban on TikTok during his first administration, citing similar national security concerns, before calling on the Supreme Court to block the ban. He issued an executive order in January shortly after he took office, though the app briefly went dark for U.S. users.
Further Reading
