Trump Grants Third TikTok Deadline Extension, Citing Election Gains and Ongoing Talks.
(The Post News)– U.S. President Donald Trump will grant a fresh 90-day extension for China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations, the White House confirmed on Tuesday. The decision, which marks the third delay, postpones enforcement of a federal law that mandated the app’s sale or shutdown over national security concerns.
The law, passed during Trump’s first term, required TikTok to divest its American assets by January 19 or cease operations, citing risks tied to Chinese ownership and potential data sharing with Beijing. But the deadline has now been extended to mid-September, giving ByteDance more time to secure a deal with a U.S.-based buyer.
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump is expected to issue a second executive order this week to keep TikTok up and operating. Leavitt explained that the president does not want the app to “go dark”; hence, his administration will spend the next 90 days ensuring that the deal is finalized and that Americans may continue to use TikTok with confidence “that their data is safe and secure”.
Trump has signaled a softer stance toward the app since returning to office, frequently praising its cultural impact and electoral usefulness. “I have a little warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” he said in an NBC interview in May, crediting the platform with helping him gain support among younger voters in the 2024 election.
Despite lingering national security concerns and political pressure from lawmakers to enforce the ban, Trump has downplayed the threat, expressing confidence that a buyer will be found. Talks between ByteDance and U.S. investors, including tech firm Oracle and private equity groups, have been underway, though slowed by geopolitical tensions, especially over trade and tariffs.
The original sale negotiations were halted earlier this year after China indicated it would block any deal following Trump’s announcement of steep new tariffs on Chinese goods. Nonetheless, U.S. investors remain interested, and a proposed structure involving a new, independent TikTok entity with reduced Chinese ownership is under review.
Meanwhile, TikTok continues to expand. On Monday, the company launched “Symphony”, a suite of generative AI tools designed to help advertisers create video content, signaling that the app is proceeding with business as usual despite looming political uncertainty.
Analysts warn that the repeated delays risk undermining the rule of law and emboldening foreign-owned tech platforms. Critics, especially Democratic senators, argue that Trump lacks legal authority to repeatedly override the ban without congressional approval. Yet for now, Trump’s extension keeps TikTok online at least through another election season while debates over digital sovereignty, data privacy, and U.S.-China tech rivalry rage on.
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