President Donald Trump indicates he would “probably” extend the April 5 deadline for TikTok’s sale if terms aren’t reached before the current 75-day negotiation window expires. 

The President made the statement at the Oval Office, in a meeting with White House reporters. “We have a lot of interest in TikTok,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “China is going to play a role, so hopefully China will approve of the deal.”

Various potential buyers have expressed interest in acquiring the popular video-sharing platform.

Multiple TikTok Bidders Emerge as Deadline Approaches

Several potential buyers have been in discussions about acquiring TikTok. Billionaire Frank McCourt and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary recently announced that Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has joined their bid to purchase the platform and rebuild its algorithm on U.S. soil.

Trump has also floated the possibility that a newly created U.S. sovereign wealth fund could participate in a transaction to acquire TikTok. Vice President JD Vance has been tasked with leading efforts to broker a sale.

Flexible Extension Timeline

When asked about extending the window and whether his team was nearing a deal, Trump responded, “We’ll see.”

“Right now, we have at least another month, so we don’t need an extension,” Trump added. “But if I need an extension, I’ll probably get it extended.”

Congress passed legislation requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to sell its stake due to national security concerns. The law mandates a complete divestment of Chinese ownership, though Trump has suggested the U.S. could partner with China on a joint venture that ensures Americans are protected.

TikTok briefly went offline in January after ByteDance missed a January 19 deadline to divest completely. After temporarily removing TikTok from their app stores to comply with the law, Google and Apple resumed allowing downloads following assurances from Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, that they wouldn’t face fines.

The U.S. Supreme Court previously rejected TikTok’s argument that the law violated the First Amendment, ruling that federal authorities had raised credible concerns about national security. U.S. lawmakers and the Justice Department maintain that TikTok could be exploited by the Chinese Communist Party for mass data collection and used to manipulate public opinion through its algorithm.

Trump, who vowed to “save TikTok” during the 2024 presidential campaign, has credited the app with contributing to his political success..