Trump Asks Supreme Court to Pause TikTok Ban
 TikTok Ban in the US: What’s happening, Why it matters, and What comes next |
 TikTok faces potential ban in the U.S if not sold by January 2025: Waiting for President Donald Trump |
He believes he can find a way to "save" TikTok without risking national security or free speech rights.
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Trump's lawyers told the justices that only Trump has the "dealmaking expertise" and "political will" to negotiate a solution.
Trump will take office on Jan. 20, just one day after TikTok must be sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or it will be banned in the U.S.
TikTok has already asked the Supreme Court to pause the enforcement of this requirement while they argue that the law is unconstitutional. However, the Supreme Court said they won't decide on the Jan. 19 deadline until after they hear oral arguments on Jan. 10.
Trump's request on Friday was one of many briefs filed before these arguments.
Save TikTok
The Supreme Court scheduled oral arguments in the case for Jan. 10, nine days before the law, formally known as the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, is set to take effect.
The law would require TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the app or force Google, Apple, and other platforms to stop supporting the app in the United States.
The fate of TikTok in the United States has been a rollercoaster ride, especially with the involvement of former President Donald Trump. During his first term, Trump attempted to ban TikTok, citing national security concerns over its Chinese ownership. He signed an executive order in 2020 to force ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to sell its U.S. operations to an American company. However, this order was challenged in court and never went into effect.
| President-elect Donald Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida on Monday, the same day that the company asked the Supreme Court to take its case. |
Fast forward to 2024, and the situation took an unexpected turn. As President elect, Trump pledged to "save TikTok" during his campaign, despite his previous efforts to ban the app. This shift in stance was surprising to many, given his earlier position. Trump argued that banning TikTok would benefit its rivals, such as Facebook, which he has criticized for various reasons.
The legal battle over TikTok continued under President Joe Biden, who signed a law in April 2024 requiring ByteDance to divest its stakes in TikTok by January 19, 2025, or face a ban. This deadline coincides with the day before Trump's second inauguration. Trump has indicated that he plans to oppose the ban and find a way to keep TikTok operational in the U.S., although the specifics of his plan remain unclear.
In summary, while Trump initially led the charge to ban TikTok, he later promised to save it, recognizing the app's popularity among young Americans and the potential political benefits of supporting it. The outcome of this saga will depend on ongoing legal proceedings and the actions taken by the incoming administration.
