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President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday extending TikTok’s deadline to find a U.S. buyer by an additional 90 days.
It’s the third extension issued by the White House this year, and while TikTok’s more than 170 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses can breathe a sigh of relief, reactions are mixed on Capitol Hill.
“Once again, the Trump administration is flouting the law and ignoring its own national security findings about the risks posed by a PRC-controlled TikTok. An executive order can’t sidestep the law, but that’s exactly what the president is trying to do,” Intelligence Select Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court upheld a federal law banning TikTok unless it finds a U.S.-based company to snatch the wildly popular Chinese-owned social media platform.
PRESIDENT TRUMP EXTENDS THE TIKTOK BAN DEADLINE BY ANOTHER 90 DAYS
The TikTok logo is seen in this illustration photo taken in Warsaw, Poland on 28 December, 2024. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The divestiture law passed Congress last year under the guidance of top Justice Department officials, who worked directly with House lawmakers to write the bill and help it withstand possible legal challenges.
PRESIDENT TRUMP VOWS TO EXTEND ‘TIK TOK’ BAN DEADLINE UNTIL A DEAL IS STRUCK
Congress cited concerns over the app’s Chinese ownership when it passed, which lawmakers said had the potential to be weaponized and gather American users’ data.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters earlier this week that “it all depends on the buyer.”
“We all want a buyer that doesn’t have the CCP in control of the algorithms after acquisition,” he said. “So, I’m hoping that the negotiations on the buyer are making headway enough that we’ll find somebody that fits the definition, but I don’t think they have yet.”
Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Select Committee, doubled down on his support for the bill signed into law by former President Joe Biden in April 2024.
“The CCP uses TikTok to steal Americans’ personal data, a clear national security issue,” he said, adding, “I was proud to support the ban of TikTok and believe the law should be implemented as written.”
Former President Joe Biden signed a bill into law last year banning TikTok if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, didn’t find a U.S. buyer. (Getty Images)
When asked if he believed Trump had the authority to authorize a third extension, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said, “I don’t know, I haven’t done the research.”
“The president’s gonna have to deal with it sooner or later, but there’s a lot going on right now,” he said.
Under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the TikTok ban was set for Jan. 19, 2025, since its parent company, ByteDance, has yet to divest TikTok in the United States.
And while service was briefly cut to American users around the deadline, Trump’s first extension allowed them to keep scrolling while ByteDance searched for a new buyer.
First reported by Axios, House Democrats sent a letter to Trump earlier this month, renewing their national security concerns and urging the president to “follow the law.”
The letter was signed by Reps. Tom Suozzi, Josh Gottheimer, Ritchie Torres, Seth Moulton, Brad Sherman and Jim Costa.
Barron Trump, son of President Trump, during a campaign event at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami, Florida, on July 9, 2024. (Getty Images / Getty Images)
Banning TikTok was once viewed on Capitol Hill as an easy bipartisan win, with the bill passing in the House 352-65, but Trump himself warmed to the platform during his 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump joined TikTok during his third consecutive bid for president as part of his successful new media strategy, which included lengthy podcast appearances Democrats were more reluctant to embrace.
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With some help from his Gen Z son, Barron, Trump became a sensation on TikTok for his campaign trail videos, collaborations with influencers and during his viral moments at McDonald’s or boarding a “garbage” truck in a high-visibility vest.
But Trump wasn’t always so sweet on TikTok. In 2020, during his first term, Trump signed an executive order aimed at banning TikTok, citing national security threats.
Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
