Trump says he will ‘most likely’ give TikTok extension to avoid ban

Open the White House Watch newsletter for free

Your guide to what the 2024 US elections mean for Washington and the world

President-elect Donald Trump said he would “most likely” extend a deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, to divest the video app, which faces a nationwide ban set to take effect on Sunday.

In an interview with NBC News, Trump said he was considering issuing a 90-day extension to the deadline. His comments come a day after TikTok warned that its 170 million users would face an imminent outage after the Supreme Court on Friday upheld a recall or ban law passed by Congress last year to address national security concerns related to China.

“The 90-day extension is something that will likely be implemented because it is appropriate,” Trump said. “We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big case… If I decide to do it, I will probably announce it on Monday.

Trump said on Friday that he spoke to President Xi Jinping and discussed TikTok with the Chinese leader. Chinese state media said the two leaders spoke, but did not specify whether TikTok was part of the conversation.

The Biden administration said on Friday that it would leave decisions about enforcement of the law, which goes into effect at midnight Eastern time Saturday, to the next administration.

That means the companies providing the video platform — including Apple, Google and Oracle — will have to decide whether to risk violating the law between the midnight deadline and Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

Apple and Oracle declined to comment, while Google did not immediately respond.

TikTok said the Biden administration “failed to provide the necessary clarity” and warned that the app “will go dark” on January 19 unless there is “a final statement to satisfy the most critical service providers to ensure no implementation.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Saturday called TikTok’s warning a “stunt.”

“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take action in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

We have made our position clear and straightforward: the actions necessary to implement this law will fall to the next administration. “So TikTok and other companies should address any concerns with them.”

One source familiar with the situation said that Biden administration lawyers are “fully committed” to implementing the decision. But since the Supreme Court’s ruling came 48 hours before the deadline, Justice Department officials expected they would need time to engage with providers on a timely plan to comply. The Justice Department said Friday that enforcing the law and ensuring compliance with it is “a process that continues over time.”

In an overwhelming bipartisan vote last March, Congress passed a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok to avoid a nationwide ban on the app.

US lawmakers and security officials believe China’s ownership of the app poses a national security risk because it could be used for espionage and disinformation by the Chinese Communist Party. TikTok denied that the Chinese government had any influence on the app.

In his first term, Trump issued an executive order banning TikTok from operating in the United States, but the courts blocked it at the last minute. In early 2024, he opposed congressional action to withdraw or ban on the grounds that it would help Facebook, which had banned him from using its social media platform for two years.

Trump has appointed several China hawks who oppose China’s ownership of TikTok to his administration, including Mike Waltz, a former Green Beret and Florida congressman, who will serve as national security adviser.

Earlier this week, Waltz said the incoming administration would take “measures to prevent TikTok from going dark,” saying the legislation allows for an extension as long as there is a “viable deal” on the table.

Following TikTok’s statement on Friday, Rush Doshi, a former senior Biden administration official in China, wrote on X that the company only has itself to blame.

“TikTok had 268 days to sell itself, so it wasn’t operated by China. That would solve everything. But they didn’t even try. China wouldn’t let them,” Doshi said.

“Now, with time running short, they want Biden to ignore a bipartisan law the (U.S. Supreme Court) upheld 9-0. “If they close, it’s on them.”

Additional reporting by Hannah Murphy and Michael Acton