Trump signs order to delay TikTok ban for 75 days

President Trump signed an executive order Monday giving TikTok an additional 75 days before a law banning the popular video-sharing platform takes effect.

Trump instructed his attorney general not to enforce the law so his administration can “determine the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans.”

TikTok briefly shut down the app in the U.S. over the weekend, leaving American users unable to access the platform for more than 12 hours starting late Saturday night.

The brief shutdown came as a law, which required the app’s China-based parent company ByteDance to divest from the platform or face a ban, took effect Sunday. The Supreme Court upheld the law Friday, ruling it did not violate the First Amendment and teeing up a ban.

Under Trump’s order, the Justice Department was ordered not to take any action to enforce the law for any entities that might have gone against the measure between Sunday and his signing of the order Monday night.

The order also warns that attempted enforcement by states or private parties would represent an “encroachment on the powers of the Executive,” seemingly in an effort to head off potential lawsuits against the app.

When pressed over the national security concerns about ByteDance, Trump shied away from saying for sure if a divestiture deal would be hammered out.

“TikTok is worthless if I don’t approve it, it has to close, I learned that from the people that own it,” he told reporters as he signed the order in the Oval Office.

“If I do the deal, it may be worth a trillion dollars,” he said, adding later, “If i do the deal for the United States, I think we should get half. The U.S. should be entitled to get half of TikTok.”

He also downplayed the extent of the threat from TikTok, saying the U.S. has “bigger problems.”

“Take a look at telephones that are made in China and all the other things that are made in China, military equipment made in China,” Trump added. “I think TikTok is not the biggest problem.”

The Supreme Court upheld the divest-or-ban law Friday, ruling it did not violate the First Amendment and teeing up a ban. In the wake of the court’s decision, the Biden administration said it did not plan to enforce the law and would instead leave implementation to the incoming Trump administration.

However, TikTok said later Friday that it planned to “go dark,” arguing the Biden administration did not provide “necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers.” The White House dismissed the company’s statement as a “stunt.”

The app stopped working for American users shortly before midnight Saturday and was removed from popular app stores.

The executive order acknowledges the “unfortunate timing” of the ban taking effect one day before Trump was sworn in, stating it “interferes with my ability to assess the national security and foreign policy implications” of the law before it took effect.

“This timing also interferes with my ability to negotiate a resolution to avoid an abrupt shutdown of the TikTok platform while addressing national security concerns,” Trump said.

Trump said Sunday he was asking companies “not to let TikTok stay dark” and announced plans to issue the executive order. The law allows the president to issue a 90-day extension if ByteDance is making progress toward a qualified divestiture.

TikTok came back online just after noon Sunday, thanking Trump for his assurances that the app’s service providers wouldn’t face penalties.

“It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship,” TikTok said in a statement posted to X. “We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”

Trump on Monday repeated he has a “warm spot” for the platform, while acknowledging he originally did not. The president was the one to first push for the ban during his first term.

“I went on TikTok and I won young people by a 36 percent meter and Republicans typically don’t do well with young people,” he said.

While the app is back up and running, it still faces an uncertain future. ByteDance is still expected to divest from TikTok in some shape or form and Trump did not give assurances a deal would definitely reach the finish line.

“I think we should have a joint venture with the people from Singapore, that’s one of many ideas,” he said Monday.

Updated at 8:48 p.m. EST.

Topics

Trump Signs Executive Order in Attempt to Delay TikTok Ban

Shortly after taking office Monday, the president issued the order to delay the app’s ban for 75 days. The law went into effect on Sunday.
The New York Times - 31m
Trump signs flurry of restrictive immigration orders on Day One

President Trump signed a flurry of executive orders on immigration on his first day in office, taking a number of actions that would severely restrict immigration while driving a greater military ...
The Hill - 32m
Live updates: Trump pardons Jan. 6 rioters and signs sweeping orders on TikTok, border, energy

In his first hours as the nation's 47th president, President Trump signed dozens of executive orders, as he promised he would do. The Day One orders affect immigration processes, grant clemency to ...
The Hill - 37m
Executive order delaying TikTok ban gets sign-off

The order was among a slew of directives Trump signed on Monday evening.
BBC News - 1h
Trump orders Justice Department to not enforce TikTok ban

The order directs the Justice Department not to take action or impose penalties against "any entity for any noncompliance" with the law.
CBS News - 2h
Trump Signs Executive Order Saving TikTok for 75 Days

ByteDance now has to show that it’s making significant progress on a deal to sell TikTok to a US-based company.
Wired - 2h
Trump issues an executive order to suspend the US TikTok ban. But can it stick?

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order Monday to keep TikTok operating for 75 days, a relief to the social media platform’s users even as national security questions persist
ABC News - 2h
Trump signs flurry of executive orders in front of supporters

President Trump signed a series of executive orders at Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C., hours after his inauguration ceremony in front of a crowd of cheering supporters. Trump froze federal ...
CBS News - 3h
Trump Considering TikTok Ban Delay

President-elect Donald Trump may grant an extension allowing TikTok to keep going beyond the ban.
Inc. - 1d
Trump signs order on government 'weaponization'

President Trump on Monday signed an executive order aimed at correcting “past misconduct” he said qualified as weaponization of the federal government. The executive order largely points the finger ...
The Hill - 3h
Trump signs order withdrawing from Paris Agreement

President Trump signed an executive order Monday evening officially beginning the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. The newly inaugurated president signed the order at an ...
The Hill - 4h
The long list of executive orders expected to be signed on day one

The president is expected to issue a series of orders that will affect US immigration, energy policy, culture war issues and other matters.
BBC News - 6h
Trump signs executive orders after inauguration

President Trump has signed the first executive orders of his second term in the White House. Mr. Trump's executive actions came after his inauguration address on Capitol Hill.
CBS News - 8h
Trump to sign orders ending diversity programs

Trump is set to axe funding dedicated to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within the federal government.
CBS News - 9h
President-elect Trump to issue executive order to delay TikTok ban

Soon after he is sworn in, President-elect Donald Trump says he plans to issue an executive order to delay a TikTok ban from taking place. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his executive order ...
CBS News - 14h
Trump to sign executive orders ‘moments after’ swearing in

Senior Trump adviser Jason Miller joins TODAY to discuss Donald Trump’s plans after he is sworn in as president for a second time, including signing executive orders “literally moments after” he is ...
NBC News - 15h
Trump is set to sign executive orders today - but what are they?

A US leader can weigh in on anything affecting federal government by issuing their own directions.
BBC News - 16h
TikTok begins restoring US service after Trump vows to delay ban

Chinese-owned video app thanks incoming president for ‘clarity’ after temporarily going dark over the weekend
Financial Times - 23h
TikTok says it is restoring service in US after Trump vowed to delay ban

President-elect says order would give company extra 90 days to find buyer and suggests that US take a 50% stake. TikTok said on Sunday that it was restoring services in the US after Donald Trump ...
The Guardian - 1d
Trump says he will issue an executive order Monday delaying U.S. TikTok ban

President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday clarified his stance on TikTok, writing in a post on Truth Social that he’d like to bring the app back online in the U.S. as soon as possible, even if there’s ...
NBC News - 1d
Trump says he'll 'likely' give TikTok a 90-day extension to avoid ban

President-elect Donald Trump told ABC News he is likely to grant TikTok a 90-day extension to avoid a ban in the United States.
ABC News - 2d
Trump says he will 'most likely' give TikTok 90-day reprieve from ban

Trump says an announcement will probably come once he takes office on Monday about the app's future in the US.
BBC News - 2d
Trump says he will likely grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve from US ban when he takes office

President-elect said he’d probably give the company an extension from US ban the supreme court recently upheld. Donald Trump has said he will “most likely” give the Chinese-owned TikTok app a ...
The Guardian - 2d
Trump says he will 'most likely' give TikTok a 90-day extension to avoid a ban

President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview with NBC News that he will "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban.
NBC News - 2d
Trump Is Said to Consider Executive Order to Circumvent TikTok Ban

The move is under discussion as the Chinese-owned app faces a Sunday deadline to find a new buyer or shut down in the United States.
The New York Times - 4d
Schumer pushes for TikTok ban delay as deadline looms

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday called for a looming TikTok ban to be delayed to give the social media company more time to find an American buyer. "We aren’t against ...
The Hill - 4d
Donald Trump reportedly weighing up TikTok ban delay

President-elect ‘has warm spot’ for platform and wants political solution to ‘preserve app but protect data’. Sophia Smith Galer : TikTok is the only truly democratic social platform Donald ...
The Guardian - 4d
Justice Department Urges Supreme Court to Deny Trump’s Request to Delay TikTok Ban

The President-elect’s decision to weigh in on the law requiring the video platform’s parent company to sell its U.S. business leaves the law’s January 19 deadline in doubt.
Inc. - Jan. 6
DOJ calls on Supreme Court to deny Trump's request to delay TikTok ban

The Justice Department urged the Supreme Court on Friday to deny President-elect Trump’s request to postpone their ruling on a TikTok ban set to be implemented the day before his inauguration. ...
The Hill - Jan. 4
What grounds does Trump have to request a TikTok ban delay from the Supreme Court?

President-elect Donald Trump requested that the Supreme Court suspend the TikTok ban until after he takes office while he works on a political resolution. University of Minnesota Law School ...
CBS News - Jan. 2

More from The Hill

Schiff calls Trump's' Jan. 6 pardons a 'grotesque display' of power

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) sharply criticized President Trump for issuing a sweeping pardon to nearly all defendants charged in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Schiff, a ...
The Hill - 29m
Trump signs flurry of restrictive immigration orders on Day One

President Trump signed a flurry of executive orders on immigration on his first day in office, taking a number of actions that would severely restrict immigration while driving a greater military ...
The Hill - 32m
Michael Fanone calls Trump's Jan. 6 pardon a betrayal

Former District of Columbia police officer Michael Fanone, who was attacked by rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol, said Trump's pardon of rioters has left him feeling betrayed. "I have been ...
The Hill - 36m
Live updates: Trump pardons Jan. 6 rioters and signs sweeping orders on TikTok, border, energy

In his first hours as the nation's 47th president, President Trump signed dozens of executive orders, as he promised he would do. The Day One orders affect immigration processes, grant clemency to ...
The Hill - 37m
ACLU sues over Trump order aimed at ending birthright citizenship

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) late Monday launched a suit challenging an executive order from President Trump seeking to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to ...
The Hill - 45m