Trump to Extend TikTok Sale Deadline to September, White House Confirms
- tech360.tv
- Jun 18
- 2 min read
U.S. President Donald Trump will extend the deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. assets by 90 days, pushing the new cutoff to mid-September, the White House said Tuesday.
This marks the third extension of a congressionally mandated deadline originally set for January, which required TikTok to be sold or shut down unless significant progress was made.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will sign a new executive order this week to keep TikTok operational.
“President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark,” Leavitt said, adding that the administration will use the next three months to ensure the sale is completed and that American users’ data remains secure.
Trump had previously extended the deadline to early April, then again to June 19.
He confirmed the latest extension while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.
“Probably, yeah,” Trump said when asked about the extension. “Probably have to get China approval but I think we’ll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve it.”
Trump said in May that he would extend the deadline, noting TikTok’s role in helping him connect with young voters during the 2024 election.
In March, Trump indicated he would consider reducing tariffs on China to facilitate a deal with ByteDance.
A proposed agreement earlier this year would have spun off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new company majority-owned and operated by U.S. investors.
However, the deal stalled after China signalled it would not approve the transaction following Trump’s announcement of steep tariffs on Chinese goods.
Democratic senators have criticised the extensions, arguing Trump lacks the legal authority to delay the deadline and that the proposed deal may not meet legal standards.
Trump to extend TikTok sale deadline by 90 days to mid-September
White House says new executive order will keep TikTok running
Previous deadlines were in January, April, and June
Source: REUTERS
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