Trump Urges Supreme Court to Pause TikTok Ban Law.
US President-elect Donald Trump has requested the Supreme Court to delay the enforcement of a law that could ban TikTok in the United States unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests ownership by January 19, 2025—just one day before his inauguration.
In a brief filed on Friday, Trump’s legal team argued that the complexity of the case warrants additional time.
“The court should consider staying the statutory deadline to grant more breathing space to address these issues,” the filing read, adding that the delay would give Trump the chance to pursue a political resolution.
During his first term (2017-2021), Trump aggressively sought to ban TikTok over national security concerns, citing fears that the Chinese government could access US user data or manipulate the platform’s content.
His attempts to block the app were ultimately unsuccessful.
Trump initially called for a US company to acquire TikTok, proposing that the government receive a share of the sale.
However, his successor, Joe Biden, took a firmer stance by signing legislation that could lead to a ban if TikTok’s ownership remains under ByteDance.
Despite his earlier opposition, Trump has since reversed his position. “Now (that) I’m thinking about it, I’m for TikTok, because you need competition,” Trump told Bloomberg, referencing his concerns about monopolies by US tech giants.
“If you don’t have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram — and that’s, you know, that’s Zuckerberg.”
Trump’s comments highlight lingering tensions with Meta (formerly Facebook), whose platforms banned him following the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Although these bans have since been lifted, Trump remains critical of Meta’s influence in the social media landscape.
In the court brief, Trump’s legal counsel, John Sauer, clarified that Trump is not taking a stance on the legal merits of the TikTok case itself.
“President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute,” Sauer wrote. Instead, he urged the court to extend the divestment deadline, allowing the incoming administration to seek a diplomatic or political resolution.
The Supreme Court’s decision could shape TikTok’s future in the US, with broader implications for tech competition and US-China relations.
