U.S. President Donald Trump likes TikTok but the Chinese-owned short video app, used by some 170 million Americans, has to move to U.S. ownership, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said on Sunday.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick issued a stark warning on Thursday, July 24, that TikTok will cease operations in the United States if China refuses to approve a deal transferring control of the platform to American owners.

Lutnick is referring to the potential deal to sell the majority of TikTok to U.S. investors, which President Trump recently said was all but done, with the buyer being "secured" on the U.S. side. Trump did say at the time that China has to approve such a deal, and now it seems his administration is running out of patience.