Microsoft Reportedly in Talks to Acquire TikTok, Trump Claims
U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that Microsoft is engaged in discussions to acquire TikTok, fueling speculation about a potential bidding war over the popular social media platform.
When asked whether Microsoft was negotiating to purchase TikTok, Trump responded, “I would say yes,” emphasizing the widespread interest in the app. “There’s great interest in TikTok,” he added.
Neither Microsoft, TikTok, nor ByteDance immediately responded to requests for comment outside regular business hours following Trump’s remarks aboard Air Force One on Monday. If confirmed, this would mark Microsoft’s second attempt to acquire TikTok.
During Trump’s first term, he pushed for TikTok to separate its U.S. operations from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, citing national security concerns. Microsoft was a leading bidder in 2020, but the talks ultimately fell through, and Trump’s divestment push ended when he left office.
With approximately 170 million U.S. users, TikTok was briefly taken offline earlier this month amid concerns over a law requiring ByteDance to either sell its U.S. operations or face a ban set for January 19.
After taking office on January 20, Trump signed an executive order postponing the enforcement of the law by 75 days. He recently stated he was engaged in discussions with multiple parties about TikTok’s future and expected to make a decision within 30 days.
Trump has previously expressed openness to the idea of billionaire Elon Musk purchasing TikTok, although Musk has not publicly responded to the suggestion.
More recently, AI startup Perplexity AI proposed a merger with TikTok, with a provision that the U.S. government could eventually acquire up to half of the new company, according to a source familiar with the matter.
In 2021, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella described the earlier TikTok negotiations as “the strangest thing I’ve ever worked on,” citing the government’s shifting requirements, which eventually faded without resolution.
