President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to suspend the TikTok ban until his administration can pursue a “political solution” to the issue.
The request comes as TikTok and the Biden administration filed a brief in opposition to the court, in which they requested that the court repeal a law that could ban the platform by January 19. While arguing that it should be done, the government emphasized that it is necessary for the law to be repealed. national security risk.
Read more: Supreme Court agrees to hear arguments on law that could ban TikTok in the US
“President Trump has not taken any position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he has asked the court to consider the merits of this case while upholding the sale deadline of January 19, 2025. “We respectfully request that you consider this,” President Trump’s court brief, which was not endorsed by either party, said.
The filing argues that the law, which would require TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The hearing was held ahead of oral arguments scheduled for January 10th.
Earlier this month, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute, prompting TikTok to appeal to the Supreme Court.
President Trump’s brief states that he opposes banning TikTok at this juncture and “wants to be able to resolve the immediate issue through political means once he takes office.”
