Vice President JD Vance told NBC News on Friday he is fairly confident a deal to sell TikTok and keep the social media application operational in the United States will mostly be finalized by the April deadline.
Newsweek has reached out to ByteDance’s press team for comment via email on Friday.
Why It Matters
TikTok, a popular video-sharing application owned by the China-based company ByteDance, has faced significant legal and regulatory challenges in the U.S.
In January, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld Congress’ right to force TikTok’s sale, based on national security concerns. Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that delayed enforcement of the ban for 75 days, allowing TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. temporarily.
By mid-February, TikTok was reinstated on Apple and Google app stores after a temporary removal.
The president’s stance on TikTok has evolved. During his first term, Trump signed executive orders to ban the app, which were later blocked by courts. His change in position followed meetings with American investors and public acknowledgment of TikTok’s role in his political outreach during the 2024 election.
What To Know
Vance told NBC News aboard Air Force Two on Friday that a resolution regarding TikTok’s ownership and operations in the U.S. is expected in April, as Trump’s executive order delaying the ban expires on April 5.
“There will almost certainly be a high-level agreement that I think satisfies our national security concerns, allows there to be a distinct American TikTok enterprise,” Vance said Friday.
In February, the president reportedly tapped Vance to spearhead the app’s potential sale. Vance previously worked as a corporate lawyer and venture capitalists prior to taking up public office.
Earlier this week, Trump said he has been “dealing with four different groups” as potential U.S. buyers, though he has not identified them. Meanwhile, ByteDance has neither confirmed any suitors nor stated that it plans to sell to a U.S. entity.
“We’re trying to close this thing by early April,” the vice president said Friday. “I think that the outlines of this thing will be very clear. The question is whether we can get all the paper done.”
He also noted that unresolved issues remain, including equity ownership and contracts for investors, providers, and customers, along with various clerical and legal matters.
“I think whether it’s through an extension, or whether it’s through actually just getting the deal in place satisfies the national security concerns, I think we’re going to be in a place where we can say TikTok is operational, and it’s also operational in a way that’s protective of Americans’ data privacy and America’s national security,” Vance said.
Vice President JD Vance joined by his wife Usha Vance and plant owner Paul Aultman speaks at Vantage Plastics in Bay City, Michigan, on March 14.
AFP/Getty Images
What People Are Saying
Then-President-elect Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on January 19: “SAVE TIKTOK!”
And on February 3, the president wrote: “GREAT INTEREST IN TIKTOK! Would be wonderful for China, and all concerned.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said on NBC News’ Meet the Press in January: “When President Trump issued the Truth [Social] post and said, ‘Save TikTok,’ the way we read that is that he’s going to try to force along a true divestiture, changing of the hands, the ownership. It’s not the platform that members of Congress are concerned about. It’s the Chinese Communist Party and their manipulation of the algorithms.”
TikTok CEO Shou Chew said in a video on the platform in January: “On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States.”
What Happens Next?
Under Trump’s executive order, TikTok needs to finalize a U.S. sale by April 5 otherwise the ban goes into effect.
Updated 3/14/25, 6:25 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include additional information and context.
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