Trump expects TikTok sale before April 5, after granting ByteDance a 75-day grace period to avoid a U.S. ban.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump believes a deal to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations is just around the corner—and it could land before the April 5 deadline.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump sounded confident about the outcome. “We have a lot of potential buyers. There's tremendous interest in TikTok,” he said, adding, “I'd like to see TikTok remain alive.”
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has until April 5 to divest its U.S. operations or risk getting banned, thanks to a 2024 law passed over national security concerns. The worry? That TikTok’s Chinese ownership could be a backdoor for data surveillance and influence campaigns.
TikTok’s 75-Day Grace Period
Back in January, Trump stepped in with an executive order that gave ByteDance a temporary lifeline. The order paused enforcement of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act for 75 days, pushing the original ban deadline from January 19 to April 5.
The move gave ByteDance time to find a buyer—and possibly save the app from getting wiped off U.S. app stores. Trump explained his motivation bluntly: “I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok that I didn’t have originally, but I went on TikTok and I won young people,” he said at the time, crediting the app with helping him win the youth vote.
The law, which was signed by President Joe Biden after overwhelming congressional approval, would block TikTok from being distributed or updated in the U.S. It was passed amid fears the Chinese government could exploit the app for spying or political influence.
Who’s in the Running?
There’s no shortage of interest. Blackstone is reportedly eyeing a minority stake, and may join forces with current non-Chinese investors like General Atlantic and Susquehanna International Group to put in a bid.
The challenge, however, goes far beyond U.S. approval. China would also need to greenlight the sale—a move it’s been hesitant about in the past.
Trump hinted he might sweeten the deal to win Beijing over. “Maybe I’ll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done,” he said, suggesting a trade carrot to help seal the TikTok handoff.
The Clock Is Ticking
Vice President JD Vance told reporters that the general terms of an agreement are expected to be reached before the April 5 cutoff. But with geopolitical tension and regulatory red tape on both sides of the Pacific, nothing’s certain yet.
Whether TikTok ends up sold, banned, or stuck in legal limbo, one thing’s clear: what happens in the next few days could reshape the future of one of the world’s most influential social platforms.
