OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:03 PM – Tuesday, April 1, 2025
President Donald Trump stated that he expects to announce a deal with TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app before a Saturday deadline.
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On Sunday, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he would personally “like to see TikTok remain alive.” He previously highlighted how younger Americans had more access to learn about Trump administration policies, via a number of popular conservative commentator accounts, on the app.
“We have a lot of potential buyers. There’s tremendous interest in TikTok,” Trump told reporters, according to Reuters. “The decision is going to be my decision, as you know, through Congress. They’ve given me the power to make the decision.”
Trump also added that he will extend the sale deadline, if it’s necessary, and that Vice President JD Vance has taken the lead on negotiations.
According to the New York Post, many of TikTok’s current U.S.-based investors, including General Atlantic and Susquehanna, are in talks to take a larger ownership stake in TikTok.
On the other hand, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the Senate Intelligence Committee chair, has advocated for China’s entire disengagement — highlighting his own worries regarding ByteDance’s continued involvement.
Nevertheless, Cotton has also stated that he will put his worries on hold for the time being as the White House seeks to obtain an agreement that addresses Congress’ national security concerns.
Trump has floated the idea of offering a tariff “break” on China — nudging Chinese officials to sign off on the TikTok deal. Trump has currently imposed a 20% tariff on all imports of Chinese goods.
“Maybe I’ll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something, to get it done,” Trump said.
After taking office, Trump posted to Truth Social, explaining that his order would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect” and “confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
“Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations,” Trump wrote.
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