President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that he is likely to extend the deadline for TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell the popular video app to American owners.
Back in early April, Trump had signed an order allowing TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. for 75 more days after an earlier deal to transfer ownership to an American company was put on hold.
When asked by reporters aboard Air Force One whether he would extend the deadline again, Trump responded, “Probably yeah, yeah.” He also expressed confidence that Chinese President Xi Jinping would eventually approve a divestment deal.
In a previous interview with NBC, Trump had already signaled that he was open to extending the timeline. If another extension is made official, it would be the third one since he took office. The first extension came through an executive order on January 20, his first day as president, after the app briefly went offline following a ban passed by Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court. The second came in April, when negotiations for a U.S.-led spin-off appeared close but ultimately collapsed after China withdrew support following Trump’s announcement of new tariffs.
It remains uncertain how many more times Trump can or will push back the ban, as discussions over TikTok’s future continue. Trump, who joined the platform last year and has since gained over 15 million followers, has acknowledged TikTok’s role in boosting his popularity among younger voters. In January, he said he has a “warm spot for TikTok.”
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