US President Donald Trump was reported to be planning to sign an executive order later this week that would extend the deadline for TikTok's Chinese owner to divest the popular video-sharing app, as announced by the White House. Previously, Trump had signed an order in early April to keep TikTok operational for an additional 75 days after a potential sale to American owners was put on hold. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that, as Trump had expressed numerous times, he did not want TikTok to cease operations. She mentioned that this new extension would last for 90 days, during which the Administration would work to finalize a deal, ensuring that American users could continue utilising TikTok with the assurance that their data remained safe and secure.
While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return from the Group of Seven summit in Canada, Trump indicated that he would “probably” extend the deadline once more. He also expressed confidence that Chinese President Xi Jinping would eventually approve a deal for TikTok’s divestment in the U.S.
Third deadline extension
This marked the third time Trump had extended the deadline. The initial extension occurred on January 20, during his first day in office, following a brief suspension of the platform when a ban approved by Congress, which was upheld by the US Supreme Court, took effect. The second extension was made in April when White House officials believed they were close to finalising a deal for a U.S.-owned spinoff of TikTok, a plan that fell through after China withdrew its support in response to Trump’s tariff announcement.
It remained uncertain how many more times Trump might extend the ban, as the government continued to negotiate a deal for TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance. Since joining TikTok the previous year, Trump had accumulated over 15 million followers and credited the platform with helping him connect with younger voters, mentioning in January that he held a “warm spot for TikTok.”
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