President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he is in talks with several individuals regarding the potential purchase of the TikTok platform and is likely to make a decision on the app’s future within the next 30 days.
“I’ve spoken with a lot of people about TikTok, and there’s a lot of interest in TikTok,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One during a flight to Florida.
Earlier on Saturday, Reuters news agency reported that two people familiar with the talks stated that the Trump administration is working on a plan to save the TikTok app, involving the American technology company Oracle.
Under the agreement being negotiated by the White House, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, would still play a role, but data collection and network updates would be overseen by the American company Oracle, which currently provides the infrastructure for TikTok’s operation in the United States.
However, in his comments to reporters, Trump stated that he had not spoken with Oracle CEO Larry Ellison about purchasing the app. When asked if a deal with Oracle and other investors was being pursued to save the app, Trump said, “No, it’s not ‘Oracle’. There are many people talking to me, important people, about the possibility of buying it, and it’s likely I’ll make a decision in the next 30 days. Congress has given 90 days. If I can save TikTok, I think that would be a good thing,” Trump said.
