Trump Extends Deadline for TikTok to Divest U.S. Assets

President Donald Trump is prolonging the June 19 deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to divest its U.S. assets by an additional 90 days, according to an announcement from the White House. This decision comes despite existing legislation that demanded either a sale or a shutdown of the popular short video app if there was no substantial advancement in the divestment process. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned that the President would sign an executive order later in the week to keep the app functional.

The new deadline pushes the date to mid-September, with intentions for a safe and secure usage of TikTok for American citizens. The administration plans to utilize the next three months to ensure that the sale is finalized so that TikTok may continue operating without compromising user data. Earlier statements by Trump indicated his desire to extend the deadline in May, partly influenced by the app’s popularity with younger voters leading up to the 2024 election.

Initially, federal law mandated that TikTok cease operations by January 19 unless ByteDance had adequately moved toward divesting its U.S. stake. Despite this directive, Trump chose not to enforce the law when he began his second term on January 20, leading to several extensions of the deadline since then. Talks of transitioning TikTok into a U.S.-based company operated predominantly by American investors had been underway, but approvals were stymied when China expressed reluctance following Trump's announcement of increased tariffs on Chinese products. Democratic lawmakers, however, have raised questions regarding the legality of Trump's authority to extend this deadline and the potential legal barriers faced by the proposed deal.