On Monday, President Donald Trump indicated that a long-awaited deal over TikTok could be nearing completion, but Congressional China hawks are pressing for strict enforcement of last year's law requiring ByteDance to fully divest its U.S. operations and separate the app's algorithm from Chinese control.
Trump Teases Framework For TikTok Deal
On Truth Social, Trump wrote that a deal had been reached with a "certain" company that "young people in our Country very much wanted to save," an apparent reference to TikTok.
Minutes later, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that Washington and Beijing had agreed on a "framework for a TikTok deal," with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to discuss details during a Friday phone call.
GOP Hawks Demand Full Compliance
Following this, members of Congress signaled they would scrutinize the plan closely.
A spokesperson for the House China Committee told Politico, "Any agreement must comply with the historic bipartisan law passed last year to protect the American people, including the complete divestment of ByteDance control and a fully decoupled algorithm."
House China Chair John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) added, "We want to have an opportunity to read it, understand it, make sure it's preserved for Americans under the law … I trust they're negotiating a good solution."
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Congress intended for TikTok to either be banned in the U.S. or transferred to American ownership, warning that anything less would violate the law's intent.
Mixed Reactions On Capitol Hill
Other Republican leaders struck a more cautious tone. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said, "It's good if there's a deal," while Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) noted, "They are clearly a threat currently. The sooner we get this resolved, the better off we are."
House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) echoed the call for vigilance. "China remains a major adversary of the United States, and we must not allow entities affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party to surveil and manipulate the American people."
TikTok's Future Still In Question
The framework comes as Trump faces criticism for repeatedly extending deadlines for TikTok's divestment. The law originally required ByteDance to sell or shut down the app's U.S. operations by January 2025, but Trump has issued three extensions, with the current deadline set for Sept. 17.
While a deal could keep TikTok's 170 million U.S. users online, the final terms will determine whether lawmakers and national security officials are satisfied that control has truly been severed from Beijing.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
