President Trump has tasked Vice President JD Vance and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz with handling a possible sale of TikTok, according to sources in the White House and on Capitol Hill. Vance is leading negotiations, while Waltz and the National Security Council oversee national security concerns.
The assignment puts them at the center of a high-stakes tech and diplomatic issue, determining whether TikTok will be sold to a U.S. company or face a ban when Trump’s 75-day enforcement pause expires in April. The law, passed in 2024, mandates TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, sell the app or be removed from U.S. app stores, though ByteDance has resisted selling.
While many Republicans back Trump’s effort, national security hawks like Sen. Tom Cotton have criticized any delay in enforcement. Despite Trump’s pause, TikTok remains unavailable for new downloads due to potential fines on app stores.
Vance, a former venture capitalist, will navigate potential buyers, with names like Microsoft, Elon Musk, and billionaire Frank McCourt in the mix. McCourt, alongside business partner Kevin O’Leary, has pitched a full separation from Chinese control and has been meeting with Republicans to build support. Trump has also floated the idea of partial U.S. government ownership through a sovereign wealth fund.
