US President Donald Trump on Sunday gave mixed signals about the future of TikTok. He hinted that China could end up deciding what happens to the app, even though a September 17 deadline is approaching for its parent company ByteDance to sell its US business or face a ban.
Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, Trump said he was unsure if he would extend the deadline for the TikTok deal.
“I may or may not. We are negotiating TikTok right now. We may let it die, or we may.. I don’t know. It depends on China. It doesn’t matter too much. I would love to do it for the kids, they like it,” Trump said.
Will Trump extend the Sep 17 deadline again?
Trump has already extended TikTok’s deadline three times since January. Lawmakers say the app is a security risk, but Trump has also admitted it helped him reach younger voters in last year’s election.
If the deadline goes past September 17, it will be the fourth time that Trump would be giving ByteDance more time.
Last month, Trump mentioned that American buyers were ready to purchase TikTok and that he could extend the deadline again.
In Washington, many lawmakers worry that China could use TikTok to spy on, blackmail, or censor Americans. But Trump has said he wants to keep the app, which played a role in helping him connect with young voters during the 2024 presidential election.
So far, progress on the deal has been slow because any sale involving TikTok’s powerful algorithm needs approval from Beijing.
TikTok deal
A deal was being worked out in the spring to turn TikTok’s US business into a new company based in America, mostly owned and run by US investors. But it was put on hold after China signaled it would not approve the plan, especially after Trump announced heavy tariffs on Chinese goods.
Trump began his second term on January 20 and chose not to enforce the law that required TikTok to sell its US assets or else, shut down. Instead, he extended the deadline three times, first to early April, then to May and June, and finally to September.
