Yes, the Trump administration is now friends with TikTok and is finalizing a buyout

For a long time, it seemed like the Trump administration and TikTok were at war, with a potential ban always on the horizon. But now, it looks like that long, drawn-out battle might finally be over. The U.S. and China have reached a “framework” for a deal to keep the popular app running in the States, and it sounds like everyone is pretty happy about it. This is a massive shift from where things were even a few months ago, and it’s a big deal for the millions of people who use the app.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was the one to announce the news to reporters, per Politico. He was there meeting with Chinese trade officials to work through a bunch of issues, with TikTok being a pretty big one on the agenda. “We have a framework for a TikTok deal,” Bessent said. This agreement, which is a major breakthrough in the long-running dispute, would essentially transition TikTok to a U.S.-controlled ownership. Details on the commercial terms of the deal are still a secret, though, with Bessent stating, “We’re not going to talk about the commercial terms of the deal. It’s between two private parties, but the commercial terms have been agreed upon”.

The deal still needs to be finalized, but Bessent said the two leaders, President Trump and Party Chair Xi, “will speak on Friday to complete the deal, but we do have a framework for a deal with TikTok”. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also expressed confidence, saying, “We believe we have an agreement. It’s just subject to the leaders’ approval”. Greer also pointed out that there won’t be “repetitive extensions,” and that any future delay would only be to get the deal signed.

TikTok may go to the US soon

This whole situation is a sharp turn from Trump’s previous stance. During his first term, he was the one who moved to ban the app in the first place, citing national security concerns. A law was passed last year that required the Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell TikTok to a U.S.-approved owner or face a nationwide ban. Since his second term began in January, however, Trump has repeatedly delayed the deadline, giving ByteDance more time to reach an agreement. This is the fourth extension he’s granted.

It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. Just days before the Madrid talks, Trump gave some pretty mixed signals, telling reporters, “We may let it die, or we may, I don’t know — it depends, up to China”. He also said that the issue “doesn’t matter too much” but that he’d “like to do it for the kids,” because “they like it”. To be fair, he also pointed out that the app helped him connect with younger voters and that he “did very well on TikTok”. He even launched a White House TikTok account back in August, which was a pretty clear signal that a deal was in the works.

It’s pretty wild to see how much things have changed. In a post on Truth Social this morning, Trump said that the trade discussions with China had gone “VERY WELL!”. He also wrote that “A deal was also reached on a ‘certain’ company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save. They will be very happy!”. It’s a classic move from the President, and it really drives home how much he has softened his stance on the app.