Trump gives away 1 thing about secret US group trying to buy TikTok

Donald Trump says the US government "has a buyer" for TikTok and teased when he would reveal their identities. Speaking to Fox's Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, the American president said only that it is "a group of very wealthy people", adding that: "I think I'll probably need China approval, I think President Xi will probably do it."

Last year, TikTok was ordered to find a new owner for its US operation or face being banned in the United States. It came after US lawmakers claimed the platform poses a national security risks partly because Chinese authorities could force TikTok's parent company ByteDance to hand over sensitive data about US citizens, as per The Financial Times.

Both Beijing and ByteDance have strenously denied the claim.

Asked on Sunday who the identity of the buyers group is, the Trump told reporters: "I'll tell you in about two weeks."

ByteDance has been approached for comment about the latest developments.

It comes after Trump's adminstration delayed the enforcement of the bi-partisan law banning the app for a third time on June 19.

TikTok praised Trump for the move, saying in a statement: "We are grateful for President Trump's leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses that rely on the platform as we continue to work with Vice President Vance's Office."

In response to a previous delay by the Trump White House, a spokesperson for China's commerce ministry said Beijing "opposes practices that ignore the laws of the market economy, plunder by force, and damage the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises".

"The specific business arrangements must comply with Chinese law, including the export of technology, which must be approved by the Chinese government," the statement added.

As the extensions continue, it appears less and less likely that TikTok will be banned in the US any time soon.

Earlier this month, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: "As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark.

"This extension will last 90 days, which the Administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure," Ms Leavitt added.