Can Trump stop the TikTok ban? ByteDance sale deadline looms amid legal battle

President-elect Trump may intervene to prevent a law banning TikTok if ByteDance doesn't sell by Jan. 19, 2025.

President-elect Donald Trump may attempt to block a newly passed law that mandates TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a U.S ban, according to The Washington Post.

 The law, signed by President Biden, requires ByteDance to divest by January 19, 2025—just one day before Trump’s inauguration. Former adviser Kellyanne Conway noted that Trump values TikTok’s extensive reach and believes there are alternative ways to address security concerns without losing 180 million U.S. users each month. Sources close to Trump expect him to act if the app faces a ban.

TikTok is challenging the law on constitutional grounds, asserting that the mandated sale is unfeasible due to technological and legal constraints. Trump, who initially pushed for a TikTok ban in 2020, softened his stance after meeting with billionaire GOP donor Jeff Yass, a major TikTok investor. Since then, Trump joined the platform and expressed opposition to a ban, claiming it would unfairly benefit Meta, which he has criticized as “an enemy of the people.” Trump further encouraged supporters to back him in preserving TikTok, a move aimed at appealing to younger voters.