President Donald Trump makes a firm statement about TikTok's fate

President Donald Trump set an April 5 deadline in January for TikTok to find a buyer without ties to China or face a ban in the United States on national security grounds under a 2024 law that took effect on January 19.

President Donald Trump announced that ByteDance will transfer ownership of TikTok in the US by April 5.

"There are a lot of people who are interested in buying TikTok's assets in the United States. There's a lot of interest in ByteDance's social media platform. I want to see TikTok continue to exist," Trump told reporters on Air Force One late Sunday night.

Private equity firm Blackstone is considering a minority stake in TikTok’s U.S. operations, U.S. media reported last Friday. Blackstone is in active discussions to join ByteDance’s existing non-Chinese shareholders, led by Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, in a new capital investment to bid for TikTok’s U.S. operations. The group is currently seen as the frontrunner.

Washington has maintained that TikTok's ownership by ByteDance makes the app dependent on the Chinese government and that Beijing could use it to conduct influence campaigns against the United States and collect data on Americans.

Previously, President Donald Trump said he was willing to extend the deadline beyond April 5 if an agreement on the social networking application could not be reached.

Last week, the White House boss acknowledged China's role in finalizing any deal, with their approval being a key factor, saying "maybe I'll cut tariffs a little bit or something to help that along."

After returning to the White House on January 20, Mr. Trump allowed the TikTok ban to be extended for another 75 days (the deadline is April 5).

Vice President JD Vance said he expects the general terms of a deal to resolve ownership issues over the social media platform to be approved by April 5.

The future of the app, used by nearly half of Americans, has been in limbo since the 2024 law, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, required ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19. That day, ByteDance’s platform went offline for about a day before Trump intervened.

Recent reports suggest that the White House has become involved in these closely watched deal negotiations to an unprecedented extent, almost taking on the role of an investment banker.

Trump said earlier this month that his administration was in talks with four different groups about a potential deal for TikTok, without disclosing their identities. But other parties competing to buy the app include an investor group led by billionaire Frank McCourt and another linked to Jimmy Donaldson, better known as YouTube star Mr. Beast, according to people familiar with the matter.

Other sources reported in January that the Trump administration was developing a plan for TikTok that included tapping Oracle and some of ByteDance’s existing non-Chinese investors to take control of the app’s operations.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/tong-thong-donald-trump-tuyen-bo-chac-nhu-dinh-dong-cot-ve-so-phan-tiktok-192250331090709006.htm