By Andrea Shalal and David Shepardson

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE/WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) -

P resident Donald Trump said a deal with TikTok's Chinese parent

ByteDance to sell the short video app used by 170 million

Americans would be struck before a deadline on Saturday.

Trump set the April 5 deadline in January for TikTok to find

a non-Chinese buyer or face a U.S. ban on national security

grounds due to have taken effect that month under a 2024 law.

"We have a lot of potential buyers," Trump told reporters on

Air Force One late on Sunday. "There's tremendous interest in

Tiktok," adding, "I'd like to see Tiktok remain alive."

TikTok did not immediately comment.

Reuters reported on Friday private equity firm Blackstone is

evaluating making a small minority investment in TikTok's U.S.

operations, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Blackstone is discussing joining ByteDance's existing

non-Chinese shareholders, led by Susquehanna International Group

and General Atlantic, in contributing fresh capital to bid for

TikTok's U.S. business. The group has emerged as front-runners.

Washington says TikTok's ownership by ByteDance makes it

beholden to the Chinese government and Beijing could use the app

to conduct influence operations against the United States and

collect data on Americans.

Trump previously said he was willing to extend the April

deadline if an agreement over the social media app was not

reached.

Last week, he acknowledged the role China will play in

getting any deal done, including giving its approval, saying

"maybe I'll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something

to get it done."

Vice President JD Vance has said he expects the general

terms of an agreement resolving the ownership of the social

media platform to be reached by April 5.

The future of the app used by nearly half of all Americans

has been up in the air since a 2024 law, passed with

overwhelming bipartisan support, required ByteDance to divest

TikTok by January 19.

The White House has been involved to an unprecedented level

in the closely watched deal talks, effectively playing the role

of investment bank.