President Trump signals a third extension for TikTok’s US sale deadline

President Donald Trump said he intends to extend the deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell the app’s US operations. If extended, it will be the third time Trump has postponed the sale deadline.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, the US president asserted that the sale of TikTok would still go through while also suggesting that Chinese President Xi Jinping would approve the deal. 

“Probably, yeah,” Trump responded when asked about extending the deadline beyond June 19. “Probably have to get China approval but I think we’ll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve it.”

Trump’s soft spot for TikTok

During his first term, Trump called for a total ban on TikTok after intelligence agencies and lawmakers alleged that the app could be collecting sensitive US data for the Chinese Communist Party. 

The claims caused a bipartisan law push culminating in the 2024 legislation signed by then-President Joe Biden, which required ByteDance to divest TikTok or face bans from cloud hosting and US app stores.

Just after the 2024 presidential elections, Trump “softened” his differences with the social app after the platform was credited with boosting his support among younger voters, an age group that had leaned away from them during his 2020 election loss. 

By the time of his January inauguration, Trump had invited TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to attend the swearing-in ceremony alongside other major tech figures such as Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

“I have a little warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” he said in an NBC News interview in May. He added that he would be open to granting more time for ByteDance to reach a sale agreement: “If it needs an extension, I would be willing to give it an extension.”

Decision delays and investment rumors

The first enforcement action against TikTok occurred just before Trump assumed office on January 19, when the app briefly went offline. Trump subsequently signed an executive order in April delaying the deadline, and another extension followed. The current deadline was set to expire on June 19 before Trump’s recent statement, which hints at another postponement.

Independent analyst Rob Enderle told reporters that Trump appears to be avoiding further confrontation with TikTok unless provoked. 

“The president is just not motivated to do anything about TikTok,” Enderle said. “Unless they get on his bad side, TikTok is probably going to be in pretty good shape.”

Some critics believe Trump’s decision to delay the ban is politically motivated. Before 2025, the POTUS had a combative relationship with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He called TikTok a “counterbalance” to Meta’s “fake news” in American social media. 

After Zuckerberg’s platforms banned Trump following the January 6 Capitol riot, the president reportedly sought retribution. Meta later agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over the bans.

TikTok legal battles and national security concerns

In December, at the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, TikTok attempted to fight the legislation mandating its divestment. However, the court sided with the US government’s argument that the platform posed potential national security risks. 

Lawmakers and intelligence officials have repeatedly warned that Beijing could exploit TikTok to disseminate propaganda or harvest sensitive user data. Though evidence has not been publicly disclosed, fears persist that such data could be used for surveillance or blackmail.

According to the Associated Press, Beijing had been prepared to approve a TikTok divestment deal but backed out after Trump reintroduced tariffs on Chinese goods in April. 

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