Trump Continues Postponements in TikTok Sale Saga: New Deadlines and Political Maneuvering
The administration of former President Donald Trump is preparing to extend for the third or even the fourth time the deadline set for the Chinese company ByteDance concerning the sale or separation of the U.S.
operations of the popular app TikTok.
According to information obtained from Reuters, a new deadline has been scheduled for September 17, when the U.S.
government is expected to make a final decision.
This marks the fourth postponement, which the Trump team has enforced under the legal framework requiring ByteDance to divest its American assets by January 2025.
Initially, Trump, while in office, delayed these deadlines, first to April, then June, and now September.
He has not provided a definitive stance on future actions, remaining in ambiguity.
In September, he mentioned the possibility of finding U.S.
buyers and even suggested that the sale might not happen at all, hinting at political complications.
Recently, Trump acknowledged that negotiations are ongoing but refrained from stating whether TikTok will remain under U.S.
control or not.
“We could let it disappear — or act differently.
It depends on China,” he noted.
He also emphasized that he considers it crucial to preserve the platform to protect children and young people.
Regarding the negotiations, Trump indicated that transferring TikTok’s algorithms to U.S.
hands would require approval from Beijing, complicating the process.
The issue of TikTok has been a key topic during ongoing trade talks between the U.S.
and China, held in Spain earlier this month.
Currently, the matter has been included in the official agenda of these negotiations, giving the Trump administration political cover to extend the deadline further.
However, sources suggest that reaching a final agreement by September 17 is unlikely, keeping the situation uncertain and fueling discontent among lawmakers from both parties who demand a swift sale of the platform.