US President Donald Trump will once again extend the deadline imposed on ByteDance to sell TikTok's US operations, the White House announced on Tuesday. This new 90-day extension pushes back the June 19 deadline to mid-September, despite a law that required the sale or shutdown of the app in the absence of substantial progress.
"President Trump will sign a new executive order this week to allow TikTok to remain online," spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. "He does not want TikTok to go dark," she added, saying that the administration intends to use the time to complete the sale and ensure the security of US user data.
This is the third time Trump has granted a reprieve to the law passed by Congress, which required TikTok to cease operations in the US as of January 19, 2025, unless it was sold or made significant progress toward a sale.
Since returning to the White House on January 20, Trump has chosen not to enforce the law. He had already pushed back the deadline to early April, then again to June 19.
In May, he hinted that he would extend the deadline again, praising TikTok's role in his re-election among young voters. On Tuesday, aboard Air Force One, he confirmed this intention: "Probably, yes," he replied to a reporter. "It may need China's approval, but I think we'll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve."
An agreement to spin off TikTok's US operations into a new company majority-owned by US investors had been considered this spring, but negotiations were suspended after Beijing expressed opposition following Trump's announcement of new tariff increases.
In March, Trump said he was willing to ease tariffs on Chinese goods to facilitate an agreement with ByteDance.
On the Democratic side, several senators have denounced this series of extensions, arguing that Trump has no legal basis for pushing back the deadlines in this way. They also believe that the proposed sale would not meet current legal requirements.
