In an unexpected development just days before his inauguration, US President-elect Donald Trump has signaled he will likely grant the embattled TikTok app a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban when he assumes office on Monday. The move marks a notable shift from the hardline approach taken by the outgoing Biden administration, which had declined to intervene as a key deadline loomed for TikTok’s Chinese parent company to divest the wildly popular short-video platform.
Trump Open to Granting TikTok Extension
Speaking in an interview with NBC News on Saturday, the incoming president indicated he was strongly considering giving TikTok an extension on the Sunday deadline that had been upheld by the Supreme Court. “I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at,” Trump said of a potential 90-day lifeline for the app. “It’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation,” he added, noting that a final decision would likely be announced on Monday.
Looming Deadline and Legal Uncertainty
TikTok has been grappling with a complex web of legal and regulatory challenges in the US, stemming from long-standing national security concerns over its ownership by Beijing-based ByteDance. The outgoing Biden White House had effectively punted the issue to the incoming administration, leaving TikTok in a precarious position as it sought clarity and assurances to prevent a potential service disruption for its massive American user base.
We have seen the most recent statement from TikTok. It is a stunt, and we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday.
– Karine Jean-Pierre, outgoing White House press secretary
TikTok CEO to Attend Trump Inauguration
In a sign of the high stakes involved, TikTok CEO Shou Chew is slated to attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony on Monday. Chew had praised the president-elect’s “commitment to work with us to find a solution” in a video message, calling it “a strong stand for the first amendment and against arbitrary censorship.”
Key Factors in Trump’s Calculus
Several factors are likely weighing on Trump’s mindas he considers TikTok’s fate in the early days of his presidency:
- First Amendment concerns: Trump has positioned himself as a staunch defender of free speech, making him potentially receptive to TikTok’s arguments that a ban would amount to unconstitutional censorship.
- Geopolitical strategy: How to handle TikTok presents an early test of Trump’s approach to an increasingly assertive China. An extension could signal a desire to de-escalate tensions and create space for negotiation.
- Business implications: With over 100 million American users, TikTok has become a major force in the social media landscape. Its fate has significant ramifications for competitors, advertisers, and creators who have built followings on the platform.
The Path Forward
Should Trump move forward with granting a 90-day reprieve, attention will turn to whether a deal can be reached to transfer TikTok’s US operations to an American buyer—a once-promising solution that has thus far failed to materialize. Microsoft, Oracle, and Walmart have all been floated as potential suitors at various points, but no firm agreement has been announced.
For its part, TikTok has maintained that a forced sale is unnecessary and that it has already taken robust measures to safeguard user data and allay security concerns. The company has poured resources into lobbying and legal efforts to stave off a ban, but its future in the US market remains uncertain as a new administration takes the reins.
As the Trump era begins, the TikTok saga is poised to enter a new chapter—one that could chart the course not only for the beloved app, but for the wider tech industry and US-China relations in the years to come. With so much at stake, all eyes will be on the president-elect as he faces an early defining choice: to ban or not to ban.
