US President-elect Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to postpone an impending TikTok ban, seeking time to negotiate a “political resolution” before the ban takes effect.
In a legal brief filed on Friday, Trump’s lawyer stated that the President-elect “opposes banning TikTok” and aims to address the issue through diplomatic means once he assumes office.
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on 10 January regarding a law mandating TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform to an American firm by 19 January—or face a US ban. This deadline falls just a day before Trump’s inauguration.
US lawmakers and officials have accused ByteDance of links to the Chinese government, allegations the company denies. Concerns over national security led Congress to pass legislation in April, signed into law by President Joe Biden, requiring TikTok’s divestment or ban.
TikTok and ByteDance have fought the law in court, citing threats to free speech rights, but with limited success. The upcoming Supreme Court session marks the companies’ last chance to challenge the ban legally.
In his court filing, Trump highlighted the case’s unique balance between free speech protections and national security concerns. While expressing no stance on the law’s merits, Trump argued that delaying the deadline would enable a resolution without court intervention.
Meanwhile, the US Justice Department and state attorneys general have advocated for the ban, citing security risks. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, alongside nearly two dozen other attorneys general, has urged the Supreme Court to uphold the law.
Earlier in December, a federal appeals court backed the legislation, describing it as the result of bipartisan congressional action.
Trump recently met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Mar-a-Lago, where he reiterated his opposition to the ban. “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” Trump remarked, suggesting the platform influenced his youth voter appeal, despite most young voters supporting Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Supreme Court’s decision could determine the future of TikTok in the US, a platform with over 170 million American users.
