President Donald Trump is planning to meet with his team on Wednesday to talk about potential buyers for TikTok. If a deal goes through, it might stop the app from being banned in the U.S.
A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed the meeting but asked not to be named because the talks are private.
TikTok’s future in the U.S. has been uncertain since a law took effect on January 19. This law requires ByteDance, the China-based company that owns TikTok, to sell the app due to concerns about national security. When Trump returned to office, he signed an executive order giving TikTok an extra 75 days to find a buyer, moving the deadline to April 5. If a deal isn’t made by then, the ban would go into effect.
Oracle and Blackstone are among the companies that might invest.
Expected to join Trump in the Oval Office meeting are Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
CBS News was the first to report the meeting.
On Sunday, while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he would “like to see TikTok remain alive.” He has said in the past that he might lower tariffs on China if the country agrees to a deal.
During his first term, Trump tried to ban TikTok, but the courts blocked the attempt. His administration later worked on a sale that didn’t go through. His view on TikTok changed during last year’s election. He said the platform helped him gain support from younger voters.
“I won the young vote by 36 points. Republicans generally don’t do very well with the young vote,” he said on Sunday. “I think a lot of it could have been TikTok.”
Trump said the April 5 deadline for a deal could be pushed back if necessary. He once proposed a deal where the U.S. would hold a 50% share in a new partnership, though it’s unclear what that would look like.
TikTok and ByteDance haven’t commented on the talks, and it’s unknown if ByteDance is now open to selling TikTok. Last year, the company said it didn’t plan to sell.
TikTok LogoWhat could happen on April 5?
If TikTok isn’t sold to a buyer approved by the U.S. government by April 5, the law banning the app nationwide would go back into effect. However, the deadline in Trump’s order isn’t firm, and he’s said it could be moved again if needed.
Trump signed the order shortly after the Supreme Court supported the federal law in January, requiring ByteDance to sell or face a ban. The next day, TikTok was temporarily shut down for U.S. users, but it came back online after Trump promised to delay the ban.
Some have questioned the decision to keep TikTok running through an executive order, but no legal action has been taken against it.
Who might buy TikTok?
It’s not clear whether ByteDance is ready to sell TikTok, but several interested buyers have stepped forward in recent months.
Vice President JD Vance, who is leading the deal efforts, has been in contact with different parties. One of them is Perplexity AI, a startup that suggested merging its business with TikTok’s U.S. operations. They made this proposal to ByteDance in January.
Another group trying to buy TikTok is led by billionaire Frank McCourt. He recently brought in Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian as an adviser. This group says it has offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash for TikTok’s U.S. side. They also plan to rebuild the app using blockchain technology, which they say will give users more control over their data.
Jesse Tinsley, who started the company Employer.com, has also put together a group of investors. This includes the CEO of Roblox, and they’re offering more than $30 billion for TikTok.
In January, Trump mentioned that Microsoft was interested in the app as well. Other possible buyers include former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Rumble, a video platform popular with some conservative users. In a post on X last March, Rumble said it was ready to join a group to buy TikTok and help provide technology support.
