Trump says a deal with ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, will be reached before deadline by which it needs to be sold or shut down in the US.
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that a deal with ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, will be reached before the looming Saturday deadline, Reuters reported.
The popular short video app, which boasts 170 million American users, faces a critical decision in light of national security concerns.
In January, Trump set an April 5 deadline for TikTok to secure a buyer from outside China or risk a ban under a 2024 law aimed at safeguarding US interests.
“We have a lot of potential buyers,” Trump remarked to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening. “There’s tremendous interest in TikTok,” he continued, expressing his hope, “I’d like to see TikTok remain alive.” Originally, TikTok was scheduled to be shut down on January 19 in accordance with a law enacted under former US President Joe Biden, which required ByteDance to divest from the app within 270 days or face a ban.
Trump previously supported a TikTok ban during his first term as President, but later pledged during his campaign to “save TikTok”.
