TikTok Sale Nears Crucial Moment as Trump Reviews Last Proposal

By

TikTok Sale Nears Crucial Moment as Trump Reviews Last Proposal
Sarah Baus of Charleston, S.C., a content creator on TikTok, holds a sign that reads "Kepp TikTok" outside the U.S. Supreme Court Building as the court hears oral arguments on whether to overturn or delay a law that could lead to a ban of TikTok in the U.S. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/Getty Images

President Donald Trump is set to review the final proposal for TikTok on Wednesday, just days before a critical deadline.

The deadline, set for April 5, demands that TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sell its US operations to avoid a potential ban in the United States.

According to CBS News, the final decision will involve key administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Trump has indicated that the meeting will determine whether a deal can be struck in time.

In remarks over the weekend, Trump expressed confidence in a potential deal. "We have a lot of potential buyers. There's a lot of interest in TikTok. The decision is going to be my decision," he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Trump emphasized that he wants TikTok to remain operational, stating, "I'd like to see TikTok remain alive," with "a lot of enthusiasm" surrounding the app.

The move comes after Congress passed a law last year setting a January 19 deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok.

However, Trump extended that deadline in January, allowing more time for negotiations. Without a successful deal, the US government plans to implement a ban on the app due to national security concerns.

Billionaire Frank McCourt Offers $20 Billion for TikTok US Assets

Several potential buyers have shown interest in TikTok, with some offering significant sums for the US operations. Notable bidders include Blackstone, Oracle, and other major private equity firms.

A consortium led by billionaire Frank McCourt has reportedly offered ByteDance $20 billion for TikTok, while Jesse Tinsley, founder of Employer.com, has proposed over $30 billion for the app.

In January, Perplexity AI also presented a merger proposal, aiming to combine its business with TikTok's US operation. Microsoft has also been linked to the potential deal, but no final agreement has been reached yet, ABC Net said.

If a deal is not made by April 5, the US government will likely enforce the ban on TikTok, which briefly took effect earlier this year.

Apple and Google were instructed to remove the app from their stores, but after legal challenges and an extension by Trump, TikTok was allowed to return to the app stores in mid-February.

Should the deadline pass without a sale, the app will be restricted again, and companies offering access to it could face penalties. Trump has hinted at the possibility of another extension, allowing up to 90 additional days for a potential deal to be finalized.

Tags
TikTok, Trump

© 2025 VCPOST.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation