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U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated he may extend the deadline for ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, to sell the app’s U.S. assets if no agreement is finalized by June 19.
"I’d like to see it done. I have a little sweet spot in my heart because, as you know, I won young people by 36 points. That’s a lot,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News aired Sunday. “I have a little warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” he added.
TikTok was shut down in the United States on Jan. 19 under a law that mandated the platform be taken offline unless transferred to an American entity. However, access was restored just 12 hours later.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order granting a 75-day suspension of the ban. This period was further extended by another 75 days on April 4. The order also proposed liability protection for companies providing services to TikTok during this transitional period. Trump emphasized that his administration is working toward a deal that would allow the United States to obtain a 50% ownership stake in a joint venture.
Amid ongoing negotiations, e-commerce giant Amazon has reportedly submitted a bid to acquire TikTok. Trump has voiced support for various potential buyers, including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and entrepreneur Elon Musk, though Musk has denied any intention to purchase the app.
Other prospective bidders include Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, billionaire Frank McCourt, investor Kevin O’Leary, YouTube star MrBeast, and OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely. In addition, major firms such as Microsoft, Blackstone, Andreessen Horowitz, and Perplexity AI are said to be exploring bids or investment opportunities in the platform.
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