President-elect Donald Trump on Friday asked the Supreme Court to stay the possible ban on TikTok until his administration can seek a “political resolution” to the issue.
In its Friday filing, the Biden administration said that because TikTok “is intertwined with ByteDance and relies on its proprietary engine developed and maintained in China,” its corporate structure carries risks.
The request came after TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs with the court, in which the company argued that the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform before January 19, while the government emphasized its position that the statute is necessary to eliminate a national security risk.
Change of mind
Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having attempted to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by promoting content that was often chauvinistic and intended to go viral.
Trump’s filing said he opposes banning TikTok at this time and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.”
The ººpresented to the court is the latest example of Trump meddling in national affairs before taking office.
“President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider suspending the divestiture deadline while it considers the merits of this case,” Trump’s amicus curiae brief stated, which did not support either party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump’s choice for solicitor general.
He said earlier this year that he still believed TikTok posed national security risks, but opposed banning it.