'It depends on China': Trump hints TikTok’s US fate still in limbo ahead of September 17 deadline

President suggests he may ‘let it die’ as divestment talks stall and Beijing resists sale

With just days to go before TikTok’s US deadline expires, President Donald Trump has offered his most uncertain assessment yet of the app’s future. Speaking to reporters in New Jersey on Monday, Trump admitted he has not made up his mind on whether to grant another extension or enforce a nationwide ban.

“We’re negotiating TikTok right now. We may let it die, or we may not, I don’t know. It depends on China,” Trump said.

The September 17 deadline requires TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance to divest its US operations or face an outright ban. The administration has already extended the deadline three times since January.

Trump on Charlie Kirk and his influence on the younger generation: "A LOT of it was attributed to Charlie!" He's right. Charlie spoke in a way that reasonated with the youth unlike any other political figure. pic.twitter.com/6J9JeTdGRJ

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) September 14, 2025

TikTok’s double-edged role in Trump’s politics

While Trump has frequently flagged national security concerns, warning that Beijing could exploit TikTok’s data to surveil or influence Americans, he also admitted the app played a role in his 2024 campaign.

“I performed very well on TikTok. I gained strong support from younger voters and achieved numbers no one in the Republican Party has ever reached,” Trump said.

He credited the platform’s reach among young voters, while also paying tribute to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated earlier this month: “Some of it was thanks to TikTok, and much of it was thanks to Charlie.”

A stalled deal and Beijing’s resistance

Talks over TikTok’s future have dragged on for months. A deal earlier this year would have spun off TikTok into a US-owned entity, backed by American investors. But the plan faltered after Beijing opposed the transfer, particularly of TikTok’s prized algorithm, which Chinese law treats as a sensitive export.

Any sale of TikTok’s core technology requires explicit Chinese government approval, a hurdle that continues to block progress. Trump’s recent tariff escalation against Chinese imports has only hardened Beijing’s stance.

Why another extension matters

If Trump grants another delay, it would mark the fourth extension of the federal divestment deadline. Initially set for January 2025, the enforcement date has slipped multiple times under Trump’s watch, drawing criticism from lawmakers who accuse the administration of mixed messaging on tech security.

For now, TikTok remains caught between Washington’s political pressure and Beijing’s red lines. With just days left, the fate of one of the world’s most popular apps hangs in uncertainty, not in Silicon Valley or Washington, but in Beijing’s willingness to sign off on a deal.