The White House confirmed that Donald Trump has extended the deadline for a TikTok sale for a third time, Reuters reported Wednesday.
Now, China-based ByteDance has 90 days to divest its US assets or potentially be forced to shut down US operations. Trump's announcement came one day before the June 19 deadline he established through his last extension. That extension was necessary after Vice President JD Vance failed to make a "high-level" deal expected in April, which Politico branded a "make or break moment" where Vance could have secured a big win.
Yesterday, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that China was holding up the sale, suggesting that China may have an upper hand in TikTok negotiations, and perhaps TikTok is losing its sheen as a US bargaining chip in Trump's bigger trade war.
Asked if he planned to delay the sale deadline again, Trump said, "probably, yeah. Probably have to get China approval but I think we'll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve it."
TikTok was supposed to be banned in the US on January 19 under a Supreme Court-backed bipartisan law forcing ByteDance to sell the company to prevent China's alleged covert control of content on the app. Congress had urged that TikTok was used to spy on Americans, whose data could be accessed by the Chinese government unless TikTok was sold to an owner based in the US or an allied nation.
Before taking office, Trump signaled that he intended to "save" TikTok. At that time, he claimed that only he could make a deal on his own terms that he believed could allow TikTok to continue operating in the US without posing a national security threat. Some critics suggested that Trump's potential deal wouldn't fly and could violate the SCOTUS-backed law. And ByteDance has remained resistant to a sale, claiming that Trump can save TikTok without forcing divestment, as the national security law requires.