Trump says he will 'most likely' give TikTok a 90-day extension to avoid a ban
By David Ingram and Alexandra Marquez
President-elect Donald Trump informed NBC News' "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker in a Saturday phone interview that he is "most likely" to grant TikTok a 90-day extension on a potential U.S. ban after he takes office on Monday.
Trump mentioned that while he had not made a final decision, he was considering extending the Sunday deadline for TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell to a non-Chinese buyer, or face a U.S. ban. "I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation," Trump said.
He added that he would likely announce the decision on Monday.
The 90-day extension is permitted under a bipartisan law passed last year, but it may not prevent TikTok from shutting down temporarily, as the current compliance deadline is Sunday.
The fate of TikTok has dominated the final days of the Biden administration, with millions of U.S. users anxiously awaiting a resolution. The Biden administration has repeatedly stated it will not enforce the law, leaving the responsibility to the incoming Trump administration. TikTok warned on Friday that it may "go dark" on Sunday unless it receives more clarity and assurance regarding potential legal consequences, especially for third-party service providers.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s threat to shut down "a stunt," adding that "we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office."
President Joe Biden signed the law in April, requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the app to a non-Chinese entity or face a nationwide ban. Biden’s aides have been exploring ways to ensure TikTok remains available as the law’s Sunday deadline approaches.
The law allows the president to grant a 90-day extension if three conditions are met: a clear path to divestiture, significant progress in executing it, and binding legal agreements enabling the divestiture during the extension period. As of now, no such agreements have been publicly disclosed, and a potential buyer would likely need to pay billions for TikTok’s U.S. operations.
Trump’s recent support for TikTok marks a significant shift from his earlier stance, during which he sought to ban the app along with WeChat through executive orders. His initial attempts were blocked by courts, and his change in position came after meeting with one of TikTok’s American investors last year.
Lawmakers in favor of a sale or ban argue that ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government make it inappropriate for a Chinese company to control a major media platform, especially one with access to personal data from millions of U.S. citizens. TikTok's supporters, however, have opposed the sale or ban, with some even downloading other Chinese apps despite security concerns.
On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld the law, rejecting TikTok’s free speech claims. Before the ruling, Trump had urged the court to delay enforcement, allowing his administration more time to explore alternatives to a ban.
Following the ruling, Trump wrote on Truth Social, stating that the decision was expected and that his final stance on TikTok would be announced soon. He indicated that he wanted time to assess the situation.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony, along with other tech executives.
Despite the Supreme Court ruling, TikTok’s future remained uncertain. Chew thanked Trump for his efforts to keep the app operational in the U.S.
Ahead of the ruling, Biden administration officials had already indicated that they would not enforce the law on Sunday, as it would fall under the jurisdiction of the incoming administration.
In a post on X, TikTok stated, "The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans." If no clarity was provided, TikTok warned it would be forced to go dark on January 19.
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