President Donald Trump stated he would consider extending the June 19 deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to divest its U.S. assets if a deal isn’t reached in time. In an interview taped at his Mar-a-Lago estate and aired nationwide, Trump said he wanted to see a resolution and expressed support for the platform, crediting it with helping him connect with younger voters in the 2024 election. He called TikTok “very interesting” and said it would be protected.

Trump has already delayed enforcement of a law mandating a TikTok ban unless a U.S. sale occurred, first from the original January date to early April, and then again to June 19. A proposal had been in development to spin off TikTok’s American operations into a U.S.-based firm controlled by American investors. However, the plan stalled after China signaled opposition, following Trump’s announcement of high tariffs on Chinese imports.

Some Democratic lawmakers argue Trump lacks the legal authority to extend the deadline and have raised concerns about whether the proposed arrangement would comply with legal standards. A person familiar with ByteDance’s American investors said work on the deal is ongoing, but any progress depends on resolving the trade dispute between Washington and Beijing.

Trump also claimed that China was eager to make a deal, pointing to the economic effects of the 145% tariffs placed on Chinese goods. While he ruled out reducing tariffs as a condition for negotiations, he indicated they might be lowered later as part of a broader agreement. He said, “At some point, I’m going to lower them because otherwise, you could never do business with them. And they want to do business very much.”