TikTok received a lifeline through an executive order signed by Trump on Monday, one of his first actions after taking office.
The order grants the video-sharing platform a 75-day extension from a US ban that began on Sunday, following ByteDance’s refusal to comply with a law requiring it to divest. Trump had spent the preceding days promising the extension would be granted.
“TikTok is worthless, worthless, if I don’t approve it,” Trump said as he signed the order, suggesting he might be open to a joint venture with TikTok.
“I could see making a deal where the U.S. gets 50 percent of TikTok, polices it a little bit, maybe a lot, depends on them.”
It remains unclear whether Trump’s order alone will be enough to prevent a ban.
Under the law, an extension is only possible if the president can demonstrate to Congress that there is a viable path to a deal, that “significant progress” has been made, and that legal agreements are in place to finalize a deal with ByteDance within the extended timeframe.
Trump’s intervention marked the latest twist in a years-long saga in Washington, driven by concerns that China could use the app to collect American users’ data and spread propaganda—claims the company has strongly denied.
The order also signaled a shift for the president, who initially sought to ban TikTok during his first term but later embraced it as a way to connect with young voters during his campaign for re-election.
“I have a warm spot for TikTok that I didn’t have orginially,” Trump said from the White House on Monday evening, hours after his swearing-in.
