Former President Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to delay a potential ban on TikTok. He wants to give his upcoming administration time to find a “political resolution” to the matter.
This request comes amid ongoing legal arguments between TikTok and the Biden administration. TikTok is pushing the court to overrule a law that could lead to its ban by January 19, while the government argues that this law is necessary to protect national security.
In a legal brief, Trump emphasized that he is not taking sides in this dispute. Instead, he asked the Court to pause the January 19 deadline for TikTok to separate from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, while the case is examined.
This move is just one of many where Trump is getting involved in national issues before officially taking office again. He has already engaged with other nations regarding tariffs and has called for more negotiation within Congress on federal funding strategies.
As Trump builds his new administration, he has been meeting with foreign leaders and business executives at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Recently, he met with TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew.
Interestingly, Trump’s stance on TikTok has shifted. During his first term, he sought to ban the app due to concerns about national security. However, he has since embraced it during his current campaign, using it to reach younger voters and promote content that resonates with them.
Despite acknowledging persistent national security risks related to TikTok, Trump stated he is against an outright ban at this time, indicating a desire to resolve the situation through political means once he takes office.
On January 10, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on whether the law requiring TikTok to divest from ByteDance violates the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. This law, enacted by President Biden, passed Congress with considerable bipartisan support.
Following a recent ruling by a panel of judges that upheld the ban, TikTok has sought intervention from the Supreme Court. In its defense, TikTok argues that the federal appeals court made an error in its judgment, basing it on hypothetical risks instead of concrete evidence.
The Biden administration maintains that TikTok poses a significant security threat due to its ties to China, claiming that Chinese authorities could potentially demand user data from TikTok. However, TikTok’s legal team has noted that there is no evidence of such actions taking place.
In their filings, the Biden administration cited concerns about TikTok’s corporate structure, arguing that its relationship with ByteDance inherently carries risks.
