Trump Signals Possible Extension for TikTok Sale Deadline

President Donald Trump stated that he will “probably” extend the deadline for the forced sale of TikTok to April 5.

Trump told reporters in the president’s formal working place (Oval Office) on Thursday that there was a lot of interest in purchasing the platform.

“We have a lot of interest in TikTok. China is going to play a role, so hopefully China will approve of the deal,” the president stated during the media briefing.

After ByteDance failed to meet its original divestiture objective of January 19, TikTok was momentarily offline until Trump stepped in and issued an executive order extending the deadline.

ByteDance was given an extra seventy-five days to finalize a transaction under the conditions set forth in Trump’s directive, pushing the deadline to April 5.

Trump noted there’s still approximately a month remaining before this deadline expires. “We don’t need an extension,” he remarked before adding, “But if I need an extension, I will probably get it extended.”

The law only permits one additional 90-day extension, which can only happen if ByteDance demonstrates meaningful progress toward completing a sale.

The sale was motivated by a national security concern since lawmakers are worried that TikTok’s algorithm might be manipulated for propaganda.

Several high-profile buyers have expressed interest in the platform. Potential acquirers include billionaire Frank McCourt, “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary, YouTube star MrBeast, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

Trump has mentioned tech leaders like Elon Musk and Oracle founder Larry Ellison as possible buyers. The list of interested parties continues to grow.

Geopolitical Tensions Complicate Negotiations

Recent trade actions may impact China’s willingness to approve any sale as Trump imposed an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods earlier last week.

This latest tariff adds to the previous 10% charge imposed earlier this year, and the rising trade tensions have prompted fast retaliation from Beijing.

China responded with countertariffs on various American products and also announced new export controls targeting fifteen U.S. companies.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian issued a stark warning about the trade dispute. “If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.”

The ByteDance position has evolved over time. Under the Biden administration, the company repeatedly claimed that selling wasn’t feasible.

Recent signals suggest Chinese authorities might be reconsidering their stance, and whether any specific bid has made meaningful progress remains unclear.

With the deadline drawing near, TikTok’s future hangs in balance as the combination of commercial interests, national security concerns, and international relations creates a complex landscape.

Even though Trump appears willing to provide additional time, the ultimate resolution remains uncertain.

But one thing that is certain is that any final agreement must address both American security concerns and Chinese economic interests.