U.S. President Donald Trump states he would offer TikTok another extension should the social media platform fail to find a buyer by the June 19 deadline, continuing his softened stance toward the app since taking office.

“TikTok is—it’s very interesting, but it will be protected,” Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker during a pre-taped interview at Mar-a-Lago, aired on May 4. Trump expressed having a “warm spot in his heart” for TikTok and a desire to keep the popular app available in the United States.

The current situation stems from legislation signed by former President Biden requiring TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or face removal from U.S. app stores. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld this law in January 2025.

After taking office, Trump signed a 75-day extension for TikTok to find a buyer, which expired on April 5. He then issued a second 75-day extension on April 4, setting the current June 19 deadline.

Chinese Government Position

China’s commerce ministry has established clear conditions for any potential deal, stating that “specific business arrangements must comply with Chinese law, including the export of technology, which must be approved by the Chinese government.”

ByteDance representatives reportedly informed the White House that China would not approve a deal until trade and tariff negotiations could take place, following Trump’s announcement of new tariffs affecting global imports.

Under a framework being considered, new outside investors would control 50% of TikTok’s U.S. operations, ByteDance’s existing U.S. investors would own approximately 30%, and ByteDance’s stake would be reduced to just below 20%.

Several prominent figures have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok, including “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary, YouTube creator MrBeast, AppLovin, Amazon, and former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Global Expansion Continues

Despite U.S. regulatory challenges, TikTok continues its international growth. The platform plans to launch TikTok Shop in Japan by June and later this year in Brazil, following recent expansions into France, Germany, and Italy in March 2025.