White House holds key meeting on TikTok’s future as April 5 deadline nears

The White House is set to discuss the future of TikTok in a high-stakes meeting today, just days before the April 5 deadline for ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban. President Donald Trump, along with top officials, is reviewing a final proposal to shift TikTok’s ownership away from China, a White House official told Reuters.

The meeting, taking place in the Oval Office, will include Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

U.S. Investors Eye TikTok Takeover

Several major American investment firms, including Blackstone and Andreessen Horowitz, are exploring ways to finance a deal that would transfer TikTok’s U.S. business to non-Chinese ownership. The plan would involve existing ByteDance investors, such as Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, contributing additional capital to secure control of the app.

Over the weekend, Trump stated that a deal to sell TikTok is expected before the April 5 deadline, which was set in January under a 2024 law citing national security concerns.

Tech Giants and Investors Join the Race

Andreessen Horowitz, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, is in talks to invest in TikTok as part of an effort to shift control of the app to American investors. Co-founder Marc Andreessen, a known Trump supporter, is reportedly working with Oracle and other U.S. investors to carve out TikTok’s U.S. operations from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

Last week, Reuters reported that private equity giant Blackstone is also considering a small minority investment in the deal. However, neither TikTok nor Andreessen Horowitz has commented on the ongoing negotiations.

Trump previously mentioned that his administration has been in touch with four different groups regarding a potential acquisition of TikTok, though he did not name them. As the April 5 deadline approaches, all eyes are on Washington to see whether a last-minute deal will be struck to keep TikTok running in the U.S. under new ownership.