Trump Extends Deadline For TikTok Sale By 90 Days
President Donald Trump announced Thursday he had given social media platform TikTok another 90 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned in the United States.
"I've just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025)," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, putting off the ban for the third time.
A federal law requiring TikTok's sale or ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before Trump's January inauguration.
The Republican, whose 2024 election campaign relied heavily on social media, has previously said he is fond of the video-sharing app.
"I have a little warm spot in my heart for TikTok," Trump said in an NBC News interview in early May. "If it needs an extension, I would be willing to give it an extension."
TikTok on Thursday welcomed Trump's decision.
"We are grateful for President Trump's leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users," said a statement issued by the platform.
Trump said in May that a group of purchasers was ready to pay TikTok owner ByteDance "a lot of money" for the video-clip-sharing sensation's US operations.
Trump has repeatedly downplayed risks that TikTok is in danger, saying he remains confident of finding a buyer for the app's US business.
The White House had announced Monday that Trump would throw the wildly popular video-sharing app, which has almost two billion global users, another lifeline.
During this new grace period the administration will work "to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure," the administration said in a statement.
The president is "just not motivated to do anything about TikTok," said independent analyst Rob Enderle. "Unless they get on his bad side, TikTok is probably going to be in pretty good shape."
Trump had long supported a ban or divestment, but reversed his position and vowed to defend the platform after coming to believe it helped him win young voters' support in the November election.
Motivated by national security fears and a belief in Washington that TikTok is controlled by the Chinese government, the ban took effect on January 19, one day before Trump's inauguration, with ByteDance having made no attempt to find a suitor.
TikTok "has become a symbol of the US-China tech rivalry; a flashpoint in the new Cold War for digital control," said Shweta Singh, an assistant professor of information systems at Warwick Business School in Britain.
The president announced an initial 75-day delay of the ban upon taking office. A second extension pushed the deadline to June 19. Now the deadline is September 17.
Trump said in April that China would have agreed to a deal on the sale of TikTok if it were not for a dispute over his tariffs on Beijing.
ByteDance has confirmed talks with the US government, saying key matters needed to be resolved and that any deal would be "subject to approval under Chinese law."
Possible solutions reportedly include seeing existing US investors in ByteDance roll over their stakes into a new independent global TikTok company.
Additional US investors, including Oracle and private equity firm Blackstone, would be brought on to reduce ByteDance's share in the new TikTok.
Much of TikTok's US activity is already housed on Oracle servers, and the company's chairman, Larry Ellison, is a longtime Trump ally.
Uncertainty remains, particularly over what would happen to TikTok's valuable algorithm.
"TikTok without its algorithm is like Harry Potter without his wand -- it's simply not as powerful," said Forrester Principal Analyst Kelsey Chickering.
Despite the turmoil, TikTok has been continuing with business as usual.
The platform on Monday introduced a new "Symphony" suite of generative artificial intelligence tools for advertisers to turn words or photos into video snippets for the platform.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Democratic Lawmaker Mocked After Singing Anti-Trump Song for 'Black Music Month': 'Don't Give Up Your Day Job'
Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson posted his own rough rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe"—rewritten as an anti-Trump protest song—in honor of Black Music Month. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) was met with mockery online after posting a video of himself playing a rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe"—rewritten as an anti-Trump protest song—in honor of Black Music Month. June is Black Music Month. This year, I decided to come back with another jam session for you all. Here is my rendition of "Hey Joe" by the Godfather of Rock, Jimi Hendrix. — Rep. Hank Johnson (@RepHankJohnson) June 18, 2025 Armed with a Fender Stratocaster, Johnson introduced the video by saying he was "just learning to play guitar" and asked viewers not to "hold it against" him. He then launched into a politically charged performance featuring lyrics such as, "Hey Trump, where you goin' with that gun in your hand? / I'm going down the street to shoot down democracy." Critics from across the political spectrum blasted the 3-minute performance as awkward and poorly executed, seizing on the off-key guitar and partisan lyrics. Bro, wtf did I just watch? — Tesp (@Therealtesp) June 19, 2025 "Don't give up your day job," one user quipped. "Dude, put that guitar down and take more lessons," urged one comment, with several encouraging him to "maybe try tuning the guitar first." Heyyy Hank,Please tune that dang guitar if you can,Heyyy Hank, Please tune that dang guitar if you can — The Doctor (@TennantRob) June 19, 2025 Others expressed secondhand embarrassment, with comments like, "The cringe level in this is immeasurable," and, "My God this man is an absolute embarrassment. Do Democrats meet on Zoom every morning to see who can be the most ridiculous person of the day? — Original Settler (@MAPatriot1630) June 20, 2025 The backlash comes amid heightened political tensions nationally, and some users contrasted the lighthearted jam session with ongoing global conflicts and domestic crises. "We're on the brink of unnecessary war and this is what you're doing?" one user wrote. We are not a serious country. 🤡 — Leeleeliberty (@Leeleeliberty11) June 19, 2025 Despite the negative reaction, Johnson framed the performance as a tribute to Black musical heritage and a personal expression of political concern. Critics, however, appear more focused on his musical chops than his message. Originally published on Latin Times © Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Fox Host Accuses Vance, Top Officials of Pressuring Trump to 'Abandon His Principles' Amid Iran Tensions: 'Let Trump Be Trump!'
Fox News host Mark Levin has accused Vice President JD Vance and other top Trump administration officials of pressuring the president to 'abandon his principles' amid tensions over the Israel-Iran war. A Fox News host has accused Vice President JD Vance and other top Trump administration officials of pressuring the president to "abandon his principles" as President Donald Trump debates aiding Israel's war with Iran. Mark Levin took to X Friday morning to share a long tweet, in which he questioned the goals of several prominent officials, including Vance, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. "Is Witkoff negotiating for something less? What's JD's role? It doesn't take 5 minutes for Iran to say, 'we surrender unconditionally' let alone 2 weeks," Levin said, referring to Trump's plan to allow time for Israel and Iran to come to a resolve on their own before intervening. LET TRUMP BE TRUMP!We got our answer. Iran says no unconditional surrender. Again. And again. And again. They cheat and lie and kill. They're TERRORISTS!Is Witkoff negotiating for something less? What's JD's role? It doesn't take 5 minutes for Iran to say, 'we surrender… — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) June 20, 2025 The broadcaster continued to accuse "fifth column isolationists" of trying to get Israel to surrender rather than Iran. "They've lied about Iran's nuclear program. Tulsi Gabbard has some explaining to do . They're a damnable cabal of lunatics, many of whom are antisemites, completely out of step with the overwhelming majority of Americans - of all walks of life and political affiliations - who want Iran's nuke sites destroyed, as the real polls show," Levin stated. According to a Harvard-Harris poll from last week, 85% of Americans do not want Iran to develop nuclear weapons. However, only 16% of Americans want the U.S. to get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict, a poll by YouGov found. Levin asserted that it is in "our national security interest and our own survival to stop these bastards cold." "During the 8-years I served in the Reagan administration, there were RINOs in the administration constantly trying to influence and change the president's agenda and press him to abandon his principles. Others actively sought to undermine him with leaks to the media. I see the same happening now," he said. "Let Trump be Trump! We've a great and historic president. Enough with the fake MAGA demagogues and grifters," Levin continued. The possibility of the U.S. getting involved in the Middle East conflict has sparked a harsh divide among Trump supporters. On Tuesday, Vance defended the president in a post on X saying he "has shown remarkable restraint in keeping our military's focus on protecting our troops and protecting our citizens." Look, I'm seeing this from the inside, and am admittedly biased towards our president (and my friend), but there's a lot of crazy stuff on social media, so I wanted to address some things directly on the Iran issue: First, POTUS has been amazingly consistent, over 10 years, that… — JD Vance (@JDVance) June 17, 2025 Vance previously stated that he would "absolutely not" support using U.S. military power in Iran during a 2023 interview with CBS News . However, Vance said his stance would change if Iran were to attack the U.S. first. Meanwhile, Trump dismissed a previous claim from Gabbard, who testified in March that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon. The national intelligence director has reportedly been sidelined recently from key discussions over the Israel-Iran war, NBC News reported. Gabbard is not the only top official allegedly left out of the deliberations. According to a report by the Washington Post , Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also reportedly been excluded from meetings. Originally published on Latin Times Donald trump Israel Nuclear weapons © Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Supreme Court Declines To Fast-Track Challenge To Trump-Era Tariffs
The US Supreme Court on Thursday declined to expedite a major legal challenge to former President Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports, opting not to intervene early in a case that could reshape presidential authority over trade policy. Educational toy companies Learning Resources and hand2mind had petitioned the Court to bypass the standard appeals process, citing the "sweeping economic consequences" of the tariffs and their impact on businesses and consumers nationwide. The Court's rejection means the case will proceed under the usual timeline, with the federal government now having until mid-July to file its response, Reuters reported. The companies argue that the tariffs, imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), were unconstitutional. They contend that the Act does not authorize the president to unilaterally impose trade barriers without congressional oversight. A lower court ruled in their favor in May 2024, stating that Trump lacked the authority to use emergency powers to enact the tariffs. That decision, however, is currently on hold pending appeal. In urging the Court to take up the case directly, the companies stressed what they called "unremitting whiplash" and an "unprecedented economic burden" placed on U.S. businesses. They asked the justices to schedule oral arguments as early as September 2025. The Biden administration opposed the motion, arguing that expedited review was "unwarranted" and that a similar case making its way through the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit presented a more suitable vehicle for resolving the legal questions. Solicitor General D. John Sauer advised the Court to allow the appellate process to play out, suggesting a decision could be better timed for the October 2025 term. While the Court's procedural ruling does not address the underlying legality of the tariffs, it delays any definitive resolution. The justices could still choose to hear the case in the next term or later, depending on the outcome of related appeals.
