US President Donald Trump signalled he’s keen to as soon as once more prolong the deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US belongings, suspending a possible high-stakes tech and geopolitical standoff deeper into the summer time.
In an interview for NBC’s “Meet the Press,” set to air Sunday (May 4), Trump mentioned he would prolong the June 19 deadline if a deal hasn’t been finalised, including that he has a “sweet spot” for the app that helped him join with youthful voters throughout his 2024 marketing campaign.
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“TikTok is – it’s very interesting, but it will be protected.” Trump mentioned from his Mar-a-Lago property.
The reprieve marks the third time Trump has delayed enforcement of a regulation mandating that TikTok stop operations within the US except ByteDance relinquishes management of the app’s American enterprise. The authentic compliance date was January 19, the day earlier than Trump was sworn in for a second time period. He pushed that to early April after which to June 19.
Talks of a possible spinout deal, during which TikTok’s US operations can be transferred to a brand new entity owned and managed by American traders, have been ongoing. However, momentum reportedly stalled after Beijing bristled at Trump’s shock announcement of sweeping new tariffs on Chinese imports, together with a 145 per cent levy on electrical automobiles, final month. China has thus far signaled it will not greenlight a compelled sale of TikTok, a place it has held persistently.
Reuters cited one supply near ByteDance’s US traders as saying final month that work on the potential deal continues forward of the June 19 deadline, however the White House and Beijing would want to resolve the tariff dispute first.
Tariffs complicate TikTok’s future
Trump stays adamant that his new tariff regime is non-negotiable, suggesting that any decreasing would come later — presumably as a part of a broader take care of Beijing. “At some point, I’m going to lower them because otherwise, you could never do business with them,” he advised NBC. “And they want to do business very much.”
His feedback come amid sharp pushback from Democratic lawmakers, a lot of whom argue that Trump lacks authorized authority to proceed extending the divestiture deadline, significantly after Congress handed laws compelling ByteDance to behave.
They additionally query whether or not the construction of the proposed deal would fulfill US nationwide safety issues about knowledge entry, moderation insurance policies, and algorithmic management— core points that fueled bipartisan help for a compelled sale within the first place.
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TikTok’s political edge
While nationwide safety stays the general public rationale for divestment, Trump’s embrace of TikTok’s affect suggests a extra sophisticated calculus. The former president acknowledged the app’s function in increasing his attain amongst youthful Americans, a demographic he struggled with in 2020 however improved on in 2024.
That may assist clarify Trump’s reluctance to close down the platform fully, at the same time as he doubles down on his “America First” commerce coverage. “It helped me win,” he mentioned plainly.
What’s subsequent
With the June 19 deadline looming, stakeholders throughout the board— ByteDance, US traders, regulators, and the Chinese authorities — now face one other interval of uncertainty. For TikTok creators and types that depend on the platform’s large US consumer base of 170 million, the extension might supply short-term reduction, however little long-term readability.
The Biden administration had beforehand taken a extra hardline stance on the app, however it’s now Trump’s White House that should navigate one of the consequential tech coverage showdowns in latest reminiscence.
With inputs from Reuters
