President-elect Donald Trump stated that he would “most likely” grant TikTok a 90-day extension to prevent the app from being banned, a decision that would follow its anticipated removal from the United States.

“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump remarked during a phone interview with Kristen Welker, the moderator of NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”

However, Trump admitted the decision was not yet set in stone.

“We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation,” he explained.

The popular but controversial Chinese-owned app is currently slated for removal as early as 12:01 a.m. on Sunday. It may face at least a temporary blackout before Trump can authorize the extension on Monday.

TikTok’s fate remained uncertain after the US Supreme Court unanimously upheld a law on Friday requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations to an approved buyer or face a nationwide ban.

This legislation stemmed from longstanding concerns among US officials over national security risks, including allegations of Chinese surveillance and unauthorized access to sensitive user information.

The law also includes a provision allowing the president to issue a one-time 90-day extension if he can demonstrate to Congress that there is a viable path toward divestiture, “significant progress” is being made, and that any proposed deal complies with legal requirements.

During today’s interview, Trump did not confirm whether any headway had been made in facilitating a sale.

Adding another layer to the situation, CNBC reported that California-based AI search engine Perplexity AI had submitted a bid to ByteDance on today. The bid proposed forming a new entity that would merge Perplexity, TikTok US, and additional capital partners. While such a deal could take months to finalize, Trump’s potential extension of 90 days could provide enough time to solidify an agreement.

ByteDance has previously indicated it does not intend to sell TikTok US outright. The proposal by Perplexity AI, framed as a merger rather than a buyout, might present a viable alternative.

Trump, who had threatened to ban TikTok during his earlier presidential term, has recently expressed a more favorable view of the platform.

On Friday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew expressed gratitude to Trump, saying, “for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States.”

In a separate announcement on Friday, TikTok warned that it would cease operations in the US on Sunday unless President Joe Biden assured tech giants like Google and Apple that they would not face fines of up to $5,000 per user for allowing access to the app after the ban takes effect.

The White House dismissed Chew’s remarks as a publicity stunt and emphasized that action on the matter would fall to the incoming Trump administration, increasing the likelihood of TikTok’s temporary shutdown.

“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” stated press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

TikTok has nonetheless anticipated that service providers such as Google and Apple will restrict access to the app starting Sunday, as they risk facing substantial penalties if the ban is implemented.

In an unexpected development, Chew reportedly accepted an invitation from Trump to attend his presidential inauguration on Monday.

{Matzav.com}