President-elect Donald Trump has requested that the Supreme Court postpone implementing a law that could ban TikTok until after his inauguration. In an amicus brief, Trump’s attorney, D. John Sauer, argued that the incoming president seeks an opportunity to address the issue “through political means.”
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The law, which mandates either a ban or the sale of TikTok, is set to take effect on January 19, 2025, just one day before Trump is sworn into office. The brief calls the timing of the ban “unfortunate” and contends that the incoming administration should be allowed more time to negotiate a resolution with TikTok. TikTok’s legal team echoed similar concerns in its own filings, urging a delay.
The brief highlights Trump’s experience as a dealmaker and references his social media platform, Truth Social, as part of the rationale for granting a postponement.
“President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government—concerns which President Trump himself has acknowledged,” Sauer wrote.
This position marks a sharp departure from Trump’s stance during his first term, when he aggressively pursued a TikTok ban in 2020. At the time, he even suggested that Microsoft could broker a deal that would benefit the U.S. Treasury, though he offered few details on how such a proposal would work.
Trump’s views on TikTok shifted during his second presidential campaign. In a March interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box, he argued against a ban, stating that it would “make Facebook bigger, and I consider Facebook to be an enemy of the people, along with a lot of the media.”
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on the TikTok ban on January 10, leaving the issue unresolved as Trump prepares to take office.
