“We were mostly trading for Tiktok, but not for trading, it’s pretty close,” Trump told reporters in early April. “And China has changed its transactions due to tariffs.”
President Donald Trump said that if the deal is not reached by the June 19 deadline, he would offer Tiktok another extension to sell from the Beijing-based parent company before facing a US ban.
In an interview that aired on May 4th, Trump told Kristen Welker that there is a “small sweet spot” in his mind than a short video application due to its popularity among young Americans. He made profits among the young demographics in the 2024 election as the president’s Republican candidate in the campaign “focused on Tiktok.”
“I want to see (the deal),” Trump said. “Tiktok is very interesting, but protected. It’s very strongly protected. But if you want an extension, I want to give it an extension.
In 2024, Congress passed a bill by January 19th ordering Tiktok’s US-based business to sell from Chinese parent company Bytedance or face a ban in the US.
Lawmakers have expressed national security concerns about the app’s relationship with the Chinese administration, particularly regarding user data exposure and the possibility of algorithm manipulation.
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“Tiktok is weapon-grade spyware,” O’Leary told lawmakers. “This is one of the best propaganda machines I’ve ever seen.”
As a result, the deadline for Tiktok is June 19th.
“We were doing most of the deals for Tiktok, but not a deal, but rather close,” Trump told Air Force reporters. “And China changed its transaction due to tariffs. If I cut the tariffs a little, they approve the transaction in 15 minutes and show the power of the tariff. ”
In a May 4 interview, filmed at his Mar-a-Lago Estate in Palm Beach, Florida, he said a deal is being negotiated with potential buyers of Tiktok’s US business.
“We have a group of buyers and we have a very large number of people,” Trump said. “They’re going to pay a lot. That’s good for us. That’s good for China.”
Previously, several bidders had stepped up to the plate with talks to buy Tiktok, which includes a consortium led by Amazon and OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely.
Trump suggested that potential Tiktok deals will be included in negotiations with China to end the ongoing tariff war.
“I’m sure if we sign a contract with China, it will become a subject, and it will be a very easy subject to resolve,” he said.
Aldogra contributed to this report.
