In a phone interview with NBC News Meet the Press anchor Kristen Welker on Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump stated that he will probably grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a possible ban in the United States once he assumes office on Monday.
Trump stated that although he had not yet made a decision, he was thinking about extending the Sunday deadline for TikTok’s parent business, which is based in China, by 90 days. The company would have to sell to a non-Chinese buyer or risk being banned from the United States.
That would definitely be a possibility that we consider, in my opinion. Given that it is acceptable, the 90-day extension is something that will probably be implemented. It’s fitting, you know. We must examine it closely. Trump stated in the phone interview that it’s a very serious matter.
“I’ll probably make an announcement on Monday if I decide to do that,” he remarked.
The bipartisan legislation last year specifically permits a 90-day extension under certain instances. However, since the current deadline for compliance is Sunday, an extension on Monday could not be sufficient to prevent the app from coming offline for at least a day.
One of the topics that has dominated the last days of the Biden administration is the future of TikTok, and many of the app’s millions of American users are anxiously expecting an answer.
TikTok stated on Friday that the White House’s promises might not be sufficient to keep the app from shutting down, despite the Biden administration’s repeated claims that it has no intention of enforcing the law and has deferred that duty to Trump. According to TikTok, unless it gets more confidence and clarity around possible legal repercussions, including against third-party service providers, it intends to go quiet on Sunday.
In a statement released Saturday morning, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referred to TikTok’s plans to go dark as a ploy.
We’ve seen TikTok’s most recent statement. She claimed that it is a ploy and that there is no reason for TikTok or other businesses to behave in the days leading up to Monday’s inauguration of the Trump Administration.
We have stated unequivocally and plainly that the next administration will be responsible for carrying out this law. Therefore, she advised TikTok and other businesses to address any issues with them.
The measure was signed by President Joe Biden in April of last year. His aides have been searching for methods to keep TikTok accessible when that rule goes into effect on Sunday. The law forces the app’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell it to a non-Chinese buyer or face a statewide prohibition in the United States.
According to the law, the president may give Congress a one-time extension of ninety days if he certifies that three conditions are met: there is a path to divestiture, there is substantial progress toward its execution, and the necessary legally binding agreements are in place to allow for the execution of such qualified divestiture during the extension period.
No such legally binding agreements have been disclosed to the public. They would probably have to invest tens of billions of dollars on TikTok’s U.S. operations if a last-minute buyer showed up.
Trump remained silent when asked if he was aware of any new developments about a sale.
Trump’s support for TikTok is a stark contrast to his position during his first term, when he issued executive orders banning the Chinese messaging app WeChat in addition to TikTok. The courts at the time thwarted Trump’s attempt. Following a brief encounter with one of the app’s billionaire American backers last year, he reversed his position.
Because of ByteDance’s connections to the Chinese government, lawmakers who have backed a sale or ban think that some action is required. They contend that the Chinese government shouldn’t be in charge of a significant media company that may be used for propaganda. They also point to the app’s gathering of American individuals’ personal information.
Fans of TikTok have voiced their opposition to the prospective sale or ban by installing other Chinese apps, such RedNote, in spite of apparent security issues with those apps.
In an unsigned ruling with no dissents, the Supreme Court maintained the legislation on Friday, dismissing the app’s free speech claims.
Prior to the Supreme Court’s decision, Trump requested that the statute be put on hold so that his administration may find other ways to prevent the program from being banned.
Trump said on TruthSocial following the verdict on Friday, “The Supreme Court’s decision was expected, and everyone must respect it.” I need to have time to consider the circumstances before making my TikTok decision, which will happen soon. Keep an eye out!
Citing the large volume of views his TikTok accounts receive, he has already indicated his support for keeping the app accessible to users in the United States.
Shou Chewis, the CEO of TikTok, is anticipated to join other tech leaders at Trump’s inauguration ceremony on Monday.
Chew commended Trump for his efforts to keep TikTok operating in the United States, but the app’s future was still unclear on Friday.
Biden administration officials indicated they would not execute the rule on Sunday, the last day of Biden’s term, even before the Supreme Court’s decision.
Following the decision, White House spokesperson Jean-Pierre remarked, “This Administration understands that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday, given the sheer fact of timing.”
According to TikTok’s post on X, the Biden White House and the Department of Justice’s statements today have not given the service providers the assurance and clarity they need to continue offering TikTok to more than 170 million Americans.
“TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19 unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement,” the statement continued.