Trump says he will 'probably' extend TikTok deadline

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will "probably" extend the deadline for the sale of the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok.

"Right now, we have at least another month, so we don't need an extension. But if I needed an extension, I'd probably get it extended," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

There is "a lot of interest" in TikTok, he said.

"We have a lot of interest in TikTok. And China is going to play a role, so hopefully China will approve of the deal, but they are going to play a role,” he added.

After taking the oath of office on Jan. 20, Trump signed an executive order in an attempt to delay a ban of the app for 75 days.

According to the order, he is pursuing a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans.

TikTok has faced US scrutiny over national security concerns, with a law requiring owner ByteDance to divest its interest in the app or face a ban.