
JD Vance, Source: NBC News
U.S. Vice President JD Vance suggested that the deal would likely be finalized by April 5, to sell Tiktok and operate it in the U.S.
“There will almost certainly be a high-level agreement that I think satisfies our national security concerns, allows there to be a distinct American TikTok enterprise” Vance, who was asked by President Donald Trump to help broker the deal, said in an interview with NBC News.
TikTok was banned in the U.S. last year, after then-President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation that requires the app’s Chinese-based owner, ByteDance, to sell the app to a non-Chinese buyer or face a nationwide ban. Vance is working with national security adviser Michael Waltz to find a U.S.-based buyer.
Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office “instructing the Attorney General not to enforce the ban for 75 days.", effectively giving TikTok until April 5 to find a U.S. buyer. Trump said he hoped a deal could be reached soon and noted the administration was “dealing with four different groups” that he didn’t identify. He also has said he is open to an extension if a deal isn’t reached by the deadline.
ByteDance has not publicly confirmed negotiations with any potential U.S. buyer, nor has it confirmed its willingness to sell TikTok to a U.S. bidder.
Vance, did not specify any details regarding the potential buyers, but he suggested that there are several bureaucratic issues that could delay finalizing the agreement beyond the deadline.
Vance added that he was hopeful an extension wouldn’t be necessary.