President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to stop a potential TikTok ban from going into effect so his administration can pursue a “political solution” to the issue.
The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs with the court, with the company arguing that the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by January 19, while the government reiterated its position that the law is necessary to overturn the law. A threat to national security.
Read more: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments about what law would ban TikTok in the United States
“President Trump takes no position on the merits of this dispute. “Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider delaying the January 19, 2025 divestment deadline while it considers the merits of this case,” Trump’s amicus brief, which did not support either side in the case, said.
The filings come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for January 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, illegally restricts expression in violation of the First Amendment.
Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the law, prompting TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.
Trump’s brief said he opposes a TikTok ban at this juncture and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once in office.”
