President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to extend the June 19 deadline for ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, to sell the platform’s U.S. operations if a deal is not finalized in time.

“I’d like to see it done ... Perhaps I shouldn’t say this, but I have a little warm spot in my heart for TikTok. TikTok is — it’s very interesting, but it’ll be protected. It’ll be very strongly protected. But if it needs an extension, I would be willing to give it an extension. Might not need it,” Trump said in an interview taped on Friday and aired Sunday.

U.S. legislation requires that TikTok cease operations within the country unless its Chinese parent company relinquishes control to a U.S.-based entity. In response, President Trump has already issued executive orders that delayed the ban, including a second 75-day extension granted last month.

Trump’s latest remarks suggest continued flexibility on the issue as negotiations progress. The administration has underscored the importance of national security in determining TikTok’s future, while also weighing public popularity and commercial interests surrounding the app.

Whether ByteDance can reach a satisfactory agreement with an American buyer remains uncertain. However, Trump’s openness to an additional extension reflects a balancing act between enforcing policy and maintaining public favor for the widely used platform.