This would mark the third time that Trump has put off enforcing a federal law requiring TikTok’s sale or ban, which was originally supposed take affect the day before his January inauguration.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is likely to extend the deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the U.S. assets of short video app TikTok, but will need the green light from China to make it happen.

“Probably yeah,” he told reporters on Air Force One when asked about extending the deadline, as cited by Reuters. “Probably have to get China’s approval but I think we’ll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve it.”

This would mark the third time that Trump has put off enforcing a federal law requiring TikTok’s sale or ban, which was supposed to take effect the day before his January inauguration.

Trump originally supported banning TikTok or forcing its sale due to national security concerns about the influence and data privacy risks associated with the Chinese government.

However, during the 2024 election, he reversed his stance, stating that TikTok has “a little warm spot in my heart.”

The President announced an initial 75-day delay of the ban upon taking office. A second extension pushed the deadline to Jun 19. Now, another delay may be in the works. 

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has been ordered to either sell the social media app’s U.S. operations to a non-Chinese buyer or face a nationwide ban. 

Despite the legal uncertainty, TikTok continues to operate in the U.S., even launching new AI-powered features for advertisers. 

If no sale is reached and the deadline is not extended, TikTok could be forced offline in the U.S., affecting 170 million users.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.<

Read also: AMD Stock Hits 6-Month High After Analysts Boost Price Targets Post AI Event