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MULTIPLE FRONTS - President Donald Trump faces mounting challenges as his administration tackles global travel restrictions, TikTok negotiations, and economic pressures at home.
Photo courtesy of CHIP SOMODEVILLA / AFP
The Trump administration has its hands full as it pushes forward with a mix of foreign policy challenges, tech disputes, and domestic economic issues. In a busy stretch for US leadership, three key developments stand out: stricter immigration measures, an ongoing standoff with China over TikTok, and heated exchanges with the Federal Reserve.
In a major diplomatic push, the United States has ordered 36 countries to improve their systems for verifying travelers or risk facing restrictions on their citizens entering the US.
Most of the countries affected are in Africa, and the US State Department has given them a Wednesday deadline to commit to strengthening their travel document processes. These nations are also being asked to cooperate with the US in accepting deportees and fixing gaps in their identification systems.
The administration is warning that any country that does not act within 60 days could be added to the existing US travel ban, which currently includes 12 nations.
“We’re looking at providing a period of time, (where if countries) don’t get to that point where we can trust them and they’ve got to change the system, update it, do whatever they need to do to convince us that we can trust the process and the information they have,” said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
The list features some longstanding US partners such as Egypt and Djibouti, as well as others like Liberia, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. Even nations left off earlier versions of the travel ban, including Syria and Congo, are now included.
Some countries have condemned the expanded restrictions and hinted at possible retaliatory actions. Critics say the policy risks deepening divides globally, while US officials frame it as a national security measure.
As immigration talks heat up, the Trump administration is also extending TikTok’s window to resolve its uncertain future in the US market. A new 90-day extension is expected to be signed, giving TikTok more time to secure a sale to a non-Chinese company.
"President Trump will sign an additional Executive Order this week to keep TikTok up and running. As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark," said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "This extension will last 90 days, which the administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure."
Trump’s stance on TikTok has shifted in recent months. Once a critic, he now acknowledges his fondness for the app, particularly as it helped him engage with younger voters. "I have a little warm spot in my heart for TikTok," he admitted in a May interview. "If it needs an extension, I would be willing to give it an extension."
Despite warnings from national security officials that the app could be used by China for surveillance, Trump has repeatedly expressed confidence that a sale will go through. He also said that a group of interested buyers is prepared to pay TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, "a lot of money" for the US side of the business.
TikTok has now become a symbol of the growing rivalry between the US and China in the global tech space. Experts have described it as a flashpoint in what some call a digital Cold War.
"TikTok has become a symbol of the US-China tech rivalry, a flashpoint in the new Cold War for digital control," said Shweta Singh of Warwick Business School.
Much of TikTok’s US operations already use Oracle’s infrastructure, and Oracle chairman Larry Ellison is a known Trump supporter. Negotiations are ongoing to find a solution that satisfies both US regulators and ByteDance’s obligations under Chinese law.
One key hurdle is the ownership of TikTok’s core technology. "TikTok without its algorithm is like Harry Potter without his wand, it's simply not as powerful," said Forrester analyst Kelsey Chickering.
Still, TikTok shows no signs of slowing down. Just this week, it rolled out new AI-driven advertising tools, keeping its momentum despite the legal and political drama.
While working on foreign policy and tech, Trump is also escalating his fight with the Federal Reserve over interest rates. The US central bank is expected to keep its benchmark lending rate steady at its upcoming meeting, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the president.
"We have a stupid person, frankly, at the Fed, he probably won't cut today," Trump said, referring to Fed Chair Jerome Powell. "We have no inflation, we have only success, and I'd like to see interest rates get down."
Trump has argued that the US economy would benefit from lower borrowing costs, brushing aside concerns that reducing rates could eventually push inflation higher.
Tariffs on goods from China have slightly pushed up prices, but many economists believe the full impact has yet to be seen. So far, the Federal Reserve has stayed cautious, weighing the risks of future inflation against the benefits of cheaper borrowing.
"The Fed would no doubt be cutting again by now if not for the uncertainty regarding tariffs and a recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East," said KPMG economist Benjamin Shoesmith.
Powell has repeatedly defended the Fed’s independence from political influence. Despite Trump’s calls for immediate cuts, most analysts expect the Fed to stay on hold unless major shifts in inflation or growth appear in the months ahead.
