‘May Let It Die’: Trump Says TikTok’s US Ban Depends On China As September 17 Deadline Nears

Last Updated:September 15, 2025, 07:11 IST

Trump acknowledged TikTok’s role in helping him connect with younger voters during the 2024 Presidential campaign

US President Donald Trump. (AFP photo)

US President Donald Trump on Monday offered an uncertain outlook on TikTok’s future, hinting that China could ultimately decide the platform’s fate.

The remarks come just days before a September 17 deadline requiring parent company ByteDance to either sell its US assets or face a nationwide ban.

Speaking to reporters in New Jersey before returning to Washington, Trump suggested he had not yet made up his mind about extending the deadline again.

“We’re negotiating TikTok right now. We may let it die, or we may not — I don’t know. It depends on China,” he said, adding that while the app wasn’t a major issue to him, he recognised its popularity among younger Americans.

The administration has already granted three extensions since January, despite ongoing warnings from lawmakers that TikTok could pose national security risks by allowing Beijing access to US user data or influence operations.

At the same time, Trump has acknowledged the app’s role in helping him connect with younger voters during the 2024 campaign.

“I performed very well on TikTok. I gained strong support from younger voters and achieved numbers no one in the Republican Party has ever reached,” Trump said.

He went on to credit both the platform and conservative activist Charlie Kirk, adding, “Some of it was thanks to TikTok, and much of it was thanks to Charlie,” referring to Kirk, who was assassinated on September 10 while delivering a speech at Utah Valley University.

If Trump allows another delay, it would mark the fourth time the deadline has been pushed back. A federal law initially required ByteDance to sell or divest its US operations by January 2025, but enforcement has repeatedly been postponed under Trump’s watch.

Talks over a sale have dragged on for months.

A deal sealed earlier this year would have created a US-based spinoff of TikTok, largely owned and managed by American investors.

That plan stalled after Beijing signalled opposition, particularly after Trump announced new rounds of tariffs on Chinese imports.

Trump has previously said American buyers are ready to step in if China permits, but any transaction involving TikTok’s algorithm — considered the app’s most valuable asset — would require Chinese government approval.

As the deadline nears, the fate of TikTok in the United States remains in limbo, caught between Washington’s political pressure and Beijing’s willingness to sign off on a deal.

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