Trump says would extend TikTok deadline if no deal reached by June 19

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida: US President Donald Trump said he would extend the June 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the US assets of TikTok, the short video app used by 170 million Americans, if no deal had been reached by then.

“I would ... I’d like to see it done,” Trump told the NBC News programme “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker” in an interview taped on Friday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, that is airing across the United States on Sunday.

Trump said he had a “sweet spot” for the app after it helped him win over young voters in the 2024 presidential election, adding, “TikTok is - it’s very interesting, but it will be protected.”