Microsoft Corp. is in discussions to acquire the U.S arm of ByteDance Ltd.’s popular video-sharing app TikTok, Donald Trump confirmed Monday night.
The revelation comes amid growing interest in TikTok’s 170 million users in the United States.
“I would say yes,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when he was asked about Microsoft’s interest in TikTok deal. “A lot of interest in TikTok. There’s great interest in TikTok.”
TikTok has been at the center of heightened scrutiny in the U.S. due to concerns over national security and its Chinese ownership. While Microsoft has yet to issue a formal comment, the company joins a growing list of parties reportedly vying for the app’s U.S. operations.
AI startup Perplexity and billionaire Frank McCourt are also reported to have submitted bids.
This follows a history of interest in TikTok from U.S. tech giants with Microsoft and Oracle being key contenders during a similar acquisition push in 2020 when Trump first pressured ByteDance to sell its U.S. arm or face a ban.
Earlier on Monday, Trump addressed a gathering of Republican lawmakers in Florida on the ongoing negotiations surrounding TikTok’s future.
Having initially supported banning the app on national security grounds, he has since softened his stance, citing the platform’s role in amplifying pro-Trump content among its users.
“We’ll see what happens,” Trump commented in his speech. “We’re going to have a lot of people bidding on it, and if we can save all that voice and all the jobs, and China won’t be involved, we don’t want China involved, but we’ll see what happens.”
To facilitate the sale, Trump granted ByteDance a 75-day reprieve from a law requiring the company to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to a domestic entity.
“I like bidding wars because you make your best deal. So if there’s a bidding war, that’s a good thing.” As the bidding process unfolds, the eventual sale could reshape the ownership and operational framework of one of the world’s most influential social media platforms.