Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
As the deadline for TikTok’s sale approaches, Amazon has entered the race with a last-minute bid to acquire the popular social media platform, according to a source familiar with White House-led negotiations.
The bid, first reported by The New York Times, was submitted this week via a letter to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. However, due to its late timing—just days before the April 5 deadline—the bid is not being treated as a serious contender, the source told NBC News.
A spokesperson for Amazon declined to comment on the matter, and a representative for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos did not immediately respond to requests for clarification.
Trump Weighs Options as Deadline Nears
President Donald Trump is expected to review potential offers in an Oval Office meeting with top officials, including Vance and national security adviser Michael Waltz. However, White House officials remain tight-lipped about the full list of potential buyers.
“If and when there is an announcement on TikTok, it will come from President Trump,” a White House official stated.
The social media giant has faced an uncertain future in the U.S. since former President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell to a non-Chinese buyer or face a nationwide ban. Although Trump extended the deadline through an executive order on his first day back in office, TikTok has yet to confirm any official discussions with buyers.
While the vice president has pushed for a resolution, he acknowledged that closing a deal of this magnitude within the timeframe would be challenging. “Typically, some of these deals that are much smaller and involve much less capital take months to close,” Vance said last month. “The outlines of this thing will be very clear. The question is whether we can get all the paper done.”
Potential Buyers Show Interest
Despite the uncertainty, several high-profile figures have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok. These include:
- Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder, who has partnered with billionaire investor Frank McCourt
- Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence-driven search engine startup
- Steven Mnuchin, former Treasury Secretary under Trump
Earlier this week, Trump hinted at strong demand for TikTok, telling reporters, “We have a lot of potential buyers. There’s tremendous interest in TikTok. The decision is going to be my decision.”
While Trump appears open to extending the deadline again, Vance has indicated he would prefer to avoid another delay. The Supreme Court previously upheld the ban in the final days of the Biden administration, leading to a brief shutdown of TikTok in the U.S. before Trump restored access upon taking office.
As negotiations continue behind closed doors, all eyes remain on Trump, who holds the final say on TikTok’s fate in the U.S. If no buyer is secured by Saturday, millions of American users could see the app banned indefinitely.
