Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Patience on the Hill is wearing thin as President Trump prepares to delay a ban on TikTok for the third time later this week.
Why it matters: Each time the White House kicks the can down the road on enforcing the TikTok ban, Republicans' national security concerns are undermined.
State of play: The ban, which was supposed to come into force in January, is expected to be delayed again on June 19.
"I think there's growing frustration. I think the June 19 date will be an inflection point on that," Rep. Darin LaHood told Axios.
- "Within the China Select Committee, this is a topic of conversation with the administration on how we can collectively raise our voice and push back on this," LaHood said, taking issue with not getting regular White House updates on where negotiations are at.
- LaHood, who also sits on the Intelligence Committee, said "I think there are options being looked at," without elaborating.
What they're saying: China Select Committee Chair John Moolenaar and LaHood said they'd like to see TikTok go dark if a deal is not reached this week.
- "If China realizes that it may go dark, that will force them either to come to the negotiating table in a good faith effort, or it will illuminate how they use this as spyware and don't want to give up that access to the American people's data," Moolenaar told Axios.
- Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who sits on House Energy and Commerce, said an additional short delay could make sense if "they're making a great deal of progress."
- "But, you know, we don't want to delay too much further, because this is a serious issue," he added.
The big picture: TikTok was once seen as a bargaining chip in broader U.S.-China trade negotiations, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told lawmakers last week that it is not.
Reality check: Many U.S. bidders are ready to jump on a deal, but getting China on board continues to be a Herculean task.
TikTok's powerful algorithm, which is what makes the app so popular and what China cares most about, would not be part of billionaire Frank McCourt's People's Bid for TikTok.
- His offer could be the most appealing option for China to "sell the pieces and parts rather than shut it down," McCourt told Axios.
- In his conversations with lawmakers, McCourt said they're clear in not wanting any potential backdoor access for China, which could be a risk if they keep the algorithm.
- "Across the board and across the aisle, there is unanimity on this. They are very intent on enforcing the law in both letter and spirit," McCourt said.
