US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday said he would “probably” give TikTok 90 more days to work on a deal that would allow the popular video-sharing platform to avoid a US ban.
Trump said in an NBC News interview that he had not decided what to do, but was considering exempting TikTok after taking the oath of office on Monday. A law that blocks mobile app stores and internet hosting services from distributing TikTok to US users goes into effect on Sunday.
Under legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden last year, TikTok’s China-based parent company had nine months to sell the platform’s US operations to an approved buyer. The law allows the sitting president to grant an extension if a sale is underway.
“I think that would certainly be an option that we’re considering. “A 90-day extension is something that’s most likely to happen, because it makes sense. “You know, it’s appropriate,” Trump told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in a phone interview. “We have to look at it carefully. This is a very big situation.”
“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” he said.