Trump Says He Has a ‘Warm Spot in His Heart’ for TikTok

President Donald Trump said Sunday he’d offer TikTok another extension should the social media app fail to find a buyer by the June 19 deadline.

During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump told host Kristen Welker that he had a “warm spot in his heart” for TikTok and that he’d like to see the popular app remain available in the United States.

“TikTok is — it’s very interesting, but it will be protected,” he said in a pre-taped interview conducted at his Mar-a-Lago club on Friday.

It’s the latest development in the ongoing saga involving TikTok in the United States.

In 2020, Trump unsuccessfully sought to ban TikTok in the United States because he believed its Chinese owner, ByteDance, posed security concerns. He also once suggested it was a form of punishment for what he saw as China’s role in the COVID-19 outbreak.

Former President Joe Biden later picked up the baton, signing a law last year that requires TikTok to divest from ByteDance or face a ban from US app stores.

The US Supreme Court upheld the law in January. TikTok then briefly shut down its app to US users before Trump promised to find a solution.

Trump began to change his tune on TikTok during his 2024 campaign, during which he said young people in the United States would “go crazy without” it. Many observers have credited TikTok’s reach in helping Trump connect with a wide swath of voters, especially among young Americans who dominate the app’s user base.

After Trump took office, he signed a 75-day extension for TikTok to find a buyer, which expired on April 5. On April 4, Trump announced he would issue another 75-day extension.

A number of wealthy Americans have publicly expressed interest in purchasing TikTok, including “Shark Tank” mogul Kevin O’Leary and YouTube power creator MrBeast.