Trump Asks Supreme Court to Delay TikTok Ban

PPresident-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause a potential ban on TikTok until his administration finds a “political solution” to the problem.

The request came after TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing court filings, in which the company argued that the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19, while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate risks to national security.

“President Trump is taking no position on the merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully asks the Court to consider delaying the January 19, 2025 deadline set forth in the Forfeiture Act, while he considers the merits of this case,” Trump’s amicus brief, which does not support either side in the case, says is D. John. Sauer, Trump’s pick for attorney general.

The argument presented to the court is the latest example of Trump’s meddling in national affairs before taking office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries about his plans to impose tariffs, and earlier this month he intervened in the federal government’s funding plan, calling for the bipartisan plan to be scrapped and Republicans to return to the negotiating table. .

He has been holding meetings with foreign leaders and business officials at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida as he puts together his board, including last week’s meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Chew.

Trump has changed his stance on the popular app, after trying to ban it during his first term due to national security concerns. He joined TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, pushing content that was often macho and aimed to go viral.

Earlier this year, he said he still believed TikTok posed national security risks but opposed its ban.

Friday’s filings come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to split from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The legislation was signed into law by President Joe Biden in April after it passed Congress with broad bipartisan support. TikTok and ByteDance subsequently filed a legal claim.

Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges at the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute, prompting TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.

Trump’s filing said he opposes the TikTok ban on the date and “seeks to be able to resolve the issue through political means once he takes office.”

In their filing to the Supreme Court on Friday, lawyers for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance argued that a federal appeals court erred in its ruling and based its decision on “alleged ‘risks’ that China could exercise control” over TikTok’s US platform by pressuring foreign subsidiaries.

The Biden administration has argued in court that TikTok poses a national security risk because of its ties to China. Officials say Chinese authorities can force ByteDance to hand over information about American TikTok patrons or use the platform to disseminate or conceal information.

But the government “admits that there is no evidence that China has ever tried to do this,” TikTok’s legal filings said, adding that US fears were based on future risks.

In its filing on Friday, the Biden administration said that because TikTok “is integrated with ByteDance and relies on its integrity mechanism developed and maintained in China,” its corporate structure carries risks.