Certainly! Here’s a unique, human-written version in American English:
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- Trump views TikTok as crucial for attracting younger voters.
- Tariff issues impede a potential U.S.-based TikTok agreement.
- Legal discussions intensify regarding Trump’s authority to impose delays.
Former President Donald Trump announced that he would push back the June 19 deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok, to sell the app’s U.S. assets unless a deal is finalized by that date. Around 170 million Americans use the short-video platform.
“I want to see it completed,” Trump stated during an interview for NBC News‘s ‘Meet the Press with Kristen Welker’, recorded at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, which aired nationwide on Sunday.
Trump expressed a particular fondness for TikTok, believing it played a significant role in helping him appeal to younger voters in the 2024 election. “TikTok is quite intriguing, and it will be safeguarded,” he mentioned.
He has previously delayed the enforcement of a congressional ban on TikTok that was set to start in January. This would allow time for negotiations to spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new company predominantly owned and managed by American investors. However, this plan hit a snag after China signaled its refusal to approve it, especially following Trump’s proposal for significant tariffs on Chinese imports.
Democratic senators contend that Trump lacks the legal power to extend the divestiture deadline and question whether the proposed deal could satisfy legal stipulations.
A source close to ByteDance’s U.S. investors noted last month that discussions surrounding a possible deal continue as the June 19 timeline approaches, but that the tariff conflict between the U.S. and China must be resolved first.
Trump told NBC News that China is eager to come to an agreement, citing the adverse effects of a 145% tariff on its economy. However, he indicated he would not eliminate tariffs to facilitate negotiations but might consider reducing them as part of a more comprehensive agreement.
“I’m going to lower them at some point because otherwise, you can’t conduct business. They’re very interested in doing business,” he remarked.
The law mandated that TikTok cease operations by January 19 if ByteDance did not divest its U.S. holdings. Trump began his second presidential term on January 20 and chose not to enforce the ban. He first extended the deadline to early April and then again last month to June 19.
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