Trump extends TikTok deadline after failing to outline deal to sell the China-owned app

US President Donald Trump on Friday failed to outline a deal to sell Chinese-owned TikTok to American investors and issued an executive order pushing back the deadline to finalise an agreement, which will keep the popular short-video app alive.

“My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress. The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days”, he said in a Truth Social post.

Trump added that his administration hopes to “continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs (Necessary for Fair and Balanced Trade between China and the U.S.A.!)”

“This proves that Tariffs are the most powerful Economic tool, and very important to our National Security! We do not want TikTok to ‘go dark’,” Trump said, adding that he was looking forward to “working with TikTok and China to close the Deal”.

The announcement came just hours before TikTok, which boasts more than 170 million American users, neared the expiration of an earlier 75-day extension to separate from its Chinese parent, ByteDance, or face a ban on Saturday.