Trump signs fourth TikTok ban extension, says deal close

President Donald Trump signed his fourth executive order extending the deadline to allow TikTok to continue legally operating in the U.S.

On Sept. 16, the same day he signed an order extending the deadline for three months, Trump said he had reached a deal with China about its ownership. "Well, we have a deal on TikTok," Trump said. "I've reached a deal with China."

Trump said that he will speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sept. 19 "to confirm everything up."

Trump's order said the Justice Department shall not enforce the 2024 law that would have banned TikTok on Jan. 19, 2025, unless ByteDance sold the app to a U.S. company. The law had bipartisan support and was signed by then-President Joe Biden. Trump has signed executive orders every few months to push back the original deadline.

The Wall Street Journal reported Sept. 16 without naming its sources that the deal would create a new U.S. entity to operate the app and investors will include Oracle, Silver Lake and Andreessen Horowitz. CNN and CNBC published similar reports.

Kate Klonick, a St. John's University law professor and internet law expert, told PolitiFact there is no need for congressional approval of a deal. "The act specifically Section 2(a)(3) states that the President merely has to certify the deal to Congress," she said.

We rate Trump's progress on saving TikTok In the Works.

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