President Trump will signal one other govt order this week extending the deadline for TikTok’s mother or father firm to divest the video sharing app, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Tuesday.
“As he has stated many instances, President Trump doesn’t need TikTok to go darkish,” Leavitt stated in a press release shared with The Hill. “This extension will final 90 days, which the Administration will spend working to make sure this deal is closed in order that the American individuals can proceed to make use of TikTok with the peace of mind that their knowledge is secure and safe.”
Leavitt’s affirmation got here simply hours after Trump stated earlier within the day he would seemingly lengthen the divesture deadline to stop a ban on TikTok from taking impact in the USA.
When requested whether or not he would give the favored video-sharing platform one other extension, the president instructed reporters aboard Air Drive One, “Most likely, yeah.”
“Most likely should get China approval, however I believe we’ll get it,” Trump stated as he traveled again from the Group of Seven summit in Canada. “I believe President Xi [Jinping] will in the end approve it.”
The anticipated order will mark the third extension from Trump since he took workplace in January.
The legislation requiring TikTok’s China-based mother or father firm ByteDance to divest from the platform or face a ban on U.S. networks and app shops was signed by former President Biden final 12 months.
The legislation initially went into impact on Jan. 19 — the day earlier than Trump was sworn into his second time period — inflicting the platform to go darkish for just a few hours after the Supreme Court docket upheld the divest-or-ban legislation.
However the platform was quickly brought back online after Trump pledged to subject an govt order as soon as again in workplace to provide the corporate an extension.
The president made good on that promise, giving TikTok’s Chinese language mother or father firm ByteDance 75 days past the preliminary January deadline to divest type the platform amid nationwide safety considerations.
The White Home finalized a deal on TikTok in early April, however it fell aside when Trump introduced sweeping new “reciprocal” tariffs, together with vital import taxes on Chinese language items.
The president prolonged the TikTok deadline by one other 75 days, which was set to run out on June 19.
Brett Samuels contributed reporting.