Trump says TikTok ban deadline could be extended
The US president says he still hopes to make a deal to keep the app alive, and he thinks China’s Xi would approve a sale to a US buyer
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that his 75-day delay in enforcing a ban on the popular short-video app TikTok could be extended, but said he does not think that will be necessary.
In remarks to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he still hopes to make a deal on TikTok to keep the app alive in the US, crediting it with helping him win the 2024 presidential election.
The app’s fate has been up in the air since a law requiring its Chinese owner ByteDance to either sell it on national security grounds or face a ban took effect on January 19.
Trump, after taking office on January 20, signed an executive order seeking to delay by 75 days enforcement of the law.
Asked if the deadline was running out, Trump said, “Well, I have 90 days from about two weeks ago, and I’m sure it can be extended. But let’s see. I don’t think you’ll need to.”
It was not immediately clear what the 90-day reference meant.