The clock just never seems to run out for TikTok.
President Donald Trump says he’ll “probably” extend the deadline yet again for the wildly popular social media app to sell itself or face a federal ban.
“We probably have to get China approval. I think we’ll get it,” Trump said, speaking to the press aboard Air Force One on Tuesday. “I think President Xi will ultimately approve it.”
Also on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that Trump would sign an executive order this week to push back the ban another 90 days, which would delay it until mid-September.
The now long-delayed ban is technically set to kick in Thursday unless it reaches a deal to sell itself to a buyer deemed fit by US officials, or if it’s given yet another extension to do so by Trump. It was originally set to take affect back in January, but has since been pushed back twice by Trump, who has both admitted a fondness for TikTok and repeatedly promised to not take the app away from Americans.
Both TikTok and the Chinese government have long opposed a sale of the company’s US operations, and it remains unclear if their positions have changed. In addition, in the months since Trump took office, his administration and China have become mired in a tariff war that has heightened tensions between the two countries and shaken global markets.
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Lawmakers in both political parties have long voiced concerns that TikTok could be a threat to national security and could be used by the Chinese government to spy on Americans or spread misinformation to further China’s agenda. TikTok continues to deny those accusations.
The law requiring the sale was passed by Congress last year with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed into law by then-President Joe Biden. Free speech advocates and other groups sued to overturn the law on First Amendment grounds, but it was upheld by the US Supreme Court in January.
So what’s next for TikTok? Here’s what you need to know.
Watch this: US vs. TikTok: What Happens Next
What does the law do?
The law aims to force ByteDance to sell TikTok to a buyer approved by American officials and guarantee that ByteDance no longer has access to US user data or control over the TikTok algorithm.
TikTok was given nine months to comply, hence the original Jan. 19, 2025, sale deadline, at which point the government could require the removal of its app from US app stores and demand that other tech companies stop supporting the app and website.
TikTok shut down in the US the night of Jan. 18, citing the ban, but came back online the next morning after Trump made assurances that he would not immediately enforce it. Trump later formalized that promise by signing an executive order that directed the attorney general not to enforce the ban for 75 days, effectively moving the deadline to April 5.
Shortly before that deadline, Trump issued the second 75-day executive order, saying that “tremendous progress” had been made, but that no deal had been reached. That delay, which pushed the deadline to June 19, wasn’t unexpected. Several potential bidders for TikTok’s US operations had made their interest known in the few days preceding it, and Trump had been meeting with administration officials to discuss possible deals and ownership structures.
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What’s Trump’s take?
After initially calling for a ban during his first presidency, Trump said during his 2024 campaign that he wasn’t in favor of one and pledged to “save TikTok,” though he didn’t specify how he’d do that.
Shortly before signing the second extension, Trump told the press that “there’s tremendous interest in TikTok.” He added that he would “like to see TikTok remain alive.” The president also said that “we have a lot of potential buyers” and that his administration is “dealing with China,” which has long opposed a sale.
On March 26, Trump said he would consider lowering tariffs on Chinese goods if the Chinese government approved a sale of TikTok’s US operations. At that time, he also reiterated his willingness to push the deadline back if needed.
Trump also has floated the idea of the US taking a 50% stake in the company as part of a joint venture, but hasn’t given specifics as to how that would work.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew was one of several high-profile tech executives to attend Trump’s inauguration in January, just hours before Trump would sign the order granting the 75-day extension.
Prior to that, during a press conference in December, Trump pointed to the role TikTok played during the election, crediting it with helping him pick up the votes of young people.
“TikTok had an impact, and so we’re taking a look at it,” Trump said. “I have a little bit of a warm spot in my heart. I’ll be honest.”
