President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is signing an executive order to temporarily halt the impending U.S. ban on TikTok, giving the app’s Chinese parent company ByteDance an additional 75 days to secure an American buyer. The announcement comes just one day before the social media platform was set to go dark across the country.
“My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days.”
The extension shifts the new deadline to April 5, granting ByteDance more time to comply with a national security law passed by Congress and signed by then-President Joe Biden last year. The law, intended to force a divestiture of TikTok over concerns that the Chinese government could access American users' data, had originally set the deadline for January 19. The law was later upheld by the Supreme Court.
TikTok has over 170 million users in the U.S., many of whom had braced for the app to be pulled from app stores over the weekend. The platform was briefly banned until Trump — then the president-elect — signaled he would reverse the decision, which led to the app’s swift return online.
National Security vs. Executive Flexibility
Trump’s decision to unilaterally delay enforcement of the law has sparked debate in Washington. While some legal experts view the move as executive overreach — extending a deadline set by Congress and backed by the Supreme Court — few lawmakers have publicly objected.
Representative John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Select Committee on China, voiced his concerns, saying, “There should be no deal that allows ByteDance to retain control of TikTok and its operations. American data must be protected from foreign adversaries.”
Despite bipartisan support for the original ban legislation, most lawmakers have remained silent on Trump’s extensions, likely reflecting both the platform’s popularity and the uncertain path forward in finalizing a sale.
Who’s in the Running to Buy TikTok?
The 75-day extension resets the clock for several high-profile American firms and individuals jockeying to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations. Interested buyers reportedly include Microsoft, Oracle, Blackstone, Walmart, Kevin O’Leary of Shark Tank, and billionaire Frank McCourt.
More recently, Amazon and OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely submitted last-minute bids, adding intrigue to an already complex deal landscape.
Rising Tensions with China
Trump’s announcement also comes amid escalating tensions with China. Earlier this week, the administration declared a national “Liberation Day” and announced steep new tariffs on Chinese goods, including a 34% hike on top of existing tariffs. China responded with a 34% retaliatory tariff on American imports, set to take effect April 10 — one day after the new U.S. tariffs begin.
The president acknowledged that the TikTok deal is now part of a broader economic standoff with Beijing.
“We do not want TikTok to ‘go dark.’ We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal,” Trump said Friday. “Tariffs are the most powerful Economic tool we have. They’re very important for national security.”
What’s Next?
With the clock reset, attention now turns to ByteDance and whether it will agree to divest its U.S. TikTok operations within the extended window. The company has yet to publicly commit to selling the app, raising questions about whether it’s truly negotiating in good faith — or simply buying time.
