Donald Trump May Extend TikTok Sales Deadline Again

JAKARTA - The President of the United States, Donald Trump, on Tuesday 17 June, stated that he was likely to return to grant an extension of time to ByteDance, a Chinese company, to sell TikTok operations in the United States.

Trump had previously stated in May that he was open to extending the deadline previously set for June 19, 2025, especially after TikTok helped increase his support from young voters during the 2024 elections.

Speaking to reporters at Air Force One, Trump said he was considering extending the time, hinting that the deal might require approval from the Chinese government. However, he believes Chinese President Xi Jinping will ultimately agree to the sale.

"Most likely, yes," Trump said when asked if he would extend the deadline. "It may need approval from China, but I think we will get it. I think President Xi will eventually agree," he added.

During his first term of office, Trump had tried to ban TikTok in the US. However, his attitude changed in the 2024 election, arguing that the platform helped balance Meta's dominance ( Facebook's parent company and Instagram).

Trump is known to have a tense relationship with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has suspended Trump's account after the Capitol raid incident on January 6, 2021. Trump even stated that he would imprison Zuckerberg. In January, Meta agreed to pay US$25 million (around Rp408 billion) to settle Trump's lawsuit regarding the suspension.

The deadline for selling TikTok comes amid new trade negotiations between the United States and China. Previously, Trump had raised import rates for goods from China, but then postponed it. The report said that the Chinese government was initially willing to agree to the TikTok deal, but changed its mind after Trump announced the new tariff last April.

Trump said that TikTok sales are likely to only come after the US and China reach a trade agreement.

Previously, in the era of President Joe Biden, ByteDance confirmed that they had no intention of selling TikTok. However, in April 2025, the company confirmed that it had started a dialogue with the Trump administration to find a solution to its US business operations. ByteDance also stressed that any agreement would require official approval from the Chinese government.