Trump Confirms Ongoing Talks With 4 Bidders for Potential TikTok Sale

Trump has said he would consider extending the deadline for a ban on TikTok if no deal is reached.

The TikTok logo and flag of the United States on screens in Hong Kong, on Jan. 18, 2025. Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

The Trump administration is actively negotiating with four parties interested in purchasing TikTok from its Chinese parent company ByteDance, a deal that could help the popular video-sharing platform avoid a ban from the United States.

While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, President Donald Trump confirmed that his administration is “dealing with four different groups” on the potential sale and that “there could be” a deal soon.

The president did not share any details about the prospective buyers or if he preferred any one of them, but noted that “all four are good.”

“A lot of people want it,” he said, adding that he will make the final decision.

The uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the United States stems from national security concerns, particularly fears that the Chinese regime could force ByteDance to hand over user data or manipulate the platform’s algorithm to spread propaganda. These concerns are rooted in China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which requires Chinese companies to assist in intelligence-gathering efforts if requested by the state.

In response, a bipartisan legislation was passed to prohibit U.S. app stores from hosting TikTok unless the app is sold to an American company. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the measure, ruling that the divest-or-ban law does not violate the First Amendment rights of the platform or its users.

The ban initially forced TikTok offline for a few hours on Jan. 19, the day before Trump’s second inauguration. Upon taking office, Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcement for 75 days, giving Chinese-owned ByteDance until April 5 to finalize a deal.

On March 6, Trump indicated he might consider another extension if no deal is hammered out by then.

“If I need an extension, I will probably get it extended,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump did not specify how long he is willing to extend the deadline. Under the law passed last year, he has the authority to grant a 90-day extension if he certifies to Congress that there is a clear path to divestiture, a “significant progress” toward finalizing it, and binding legal agreements in place to execute the transaction during the period of such extension.

When signing the initial executive order delaying the ban, Trump suggested that he may use tariffs as leverage to pressure China into approving any deal the United States would want to make with TikTok.

“If we said, ‘Well, if you’re not going to approve it, then that’s a certain hostility, and we’ll put tariffs of 25, 30, 40, 50 percent, even 100 percent.‘ And if we did that, I think they’d approve it,” he said at that time.

Speaking on March 6, Trump indicated that he still expects Beijing to sign off on the TikTok sale in order to avoid punitive trade actions.

“China is going to play a role, so hopefully China will approve of the deal,” Trump said. “But they’re going to play a role.”