Trump weighs 90-day TikTok extension as deadline looms

Donald Trump says he will ‘most likely’ grant TikTok a 90-day extension to avoid a U.S. ban.

President-elect Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that he is considering granting TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a potential U.S. ban.

In an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker, Trump confirmed that he was likely to extend the deadline for TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations to a non-Chinese entity. The current deadline for the company to comply with this mandate is Sunday, but Trump’s comments suggested that a decision to extend it by 90 days could be announced as early as Monday.

“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will most likely be done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump stated, adding that it was a significant issue that needed careful consideration. “We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation.”

Under current law, a 90-day extension can be granted if the president certifies that there is a plan in place for TikTok’s divestiture, significant progress is being made toward that goal, and relevant legal agreements are established. However, with the deadline looming, it is uncertain whether this extension would be enough to prevent TikTok from going offline, as the current deadline stands at Sunday.

TikTok has voiced concerns that without clarity on its future, it will have no choice but to suspend its services in the U.S. unless it receives assurances regarding its legal status, particularly regarding third-party service providers. In response, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed TikTok’s warning as a “stunt” and reiterated that enforcement of the law will fall under the jurisdiction of the incoming administration. “We have laid out our position clearly: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration,” she stated.

The situation around TikTok has been one of the major topics in the final days of President Joe Biden’s administration. Despite Biden signing a law in April that required ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban, the administration has refrained from enforcing the law during the final days of Biden’s term. The law allows for a 90-day extension, but there have been no indications of binding legal agreements or significant progress toward a sale of TikTok’s U.S. business.

The Supreme Court recently upheld the law, dismissing TikTok’s free speech arguments in a ruling on Friday, which brought clarity on the issue. However, TikTok’s future remains uncertain as the deadline approaches, and service providers integral to the app’s operation have not received sufficient assurances.

In a statement on Truth Social, Trump acknowledged the Supreme Court’s ruling, saying, “The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!” The former president’s comments suggest that he is still weighing the best course of action regarding TikTok’s future.

Interestingly, Trump’s recent shift in stance toward TikTok contrasts with his previous efforts to ban the app during his first term. Trump had attempted to block TikTok, along with WeChat, in an effort to address concerns about Chinese government influence over the platforms. While his earlier executive orders were blocked by the courts, his change of heart followed discussions with one of the app’s U.S.-based investors.

TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony, marking another sign of the ongoing engagement between the app’s leadership and the incoming administration.

As the new administration takes over, the fate of TikTok remains a key issue for its millions of U.S. users. The app’s future may depend on whether Trump’s administration grants the 90-day extension and what legal and operational agreements are reached in the coming days.