President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to delay the implementation of a controversial TikTok ban scheduled for next month. He stated that a pause would allow his administration to pursue a “negotiated resolution.”
This stance clashes with the Biden administration’s legal brief, which warns of “grave” national security concerns tied to TikTok’s continued operation in the United States.
In one of the most significant pending cases before the Supreme Court, the justices must weigh whether the TikTok ban Congress approved in April violates the First Amendment. The court has already scheduled two hours of oral argument in the case for January 10.
The court received roughly two dozen briefs Friday from groups and officials who have weighed in on both sides of that question. Trump is technically not a party in the case—he filed a “friend-of-the-court” brief, as did several outside groups, members of Congress, and others who wanted to offer their perspective.
But given that the ban is set to take effect on January 19, a day before his inauguration, Trump’s position may carry significant weight with the justices.