In a recent interview, President Trump indicated that he might extend the ban on TikTok if the app’s parent company fails to sell its interests in social media platforms by the upcoming deadline.
“Let’s discuss Professor TikTok. If no deals are in place, will we push that deadline? You’re already—you’re already,” he remarked.
Trump then confirmed, “I’ll do that,” in response to a question posed by Welker.
The president also mentioned he has “a small sweet spot in my heart” for the app.
Last month, he signed an executive order which reinstated the prohibition passed by Congress the previous year, placing a halt on enforcing the 75-day law that would require the sale of the China-owned parent company of TikTok in order to continue operations in the U.S.
Trump had initially granted TikTok a 75-day reprieve from the ban at the start of his second term.
In January, he reflected on his motivations for wanting to “get rid of TikTok.” At that point, his personal account had garnered around 1.4 billion views, averaging 24 million views per post.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew expressed gratitude towards the president in January for his efforts to ensure the app’s availability in the U.S.
“On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all users across the country, we thank President Trump for his commitment to finding solutions for TikTok’s presence in the U.S.,” Chew stated in a post on the platform.
Oka has reached out to TikTok for a response.
