In an unusual brief submitted to the US Supreme Court, President-elect Donald Trump requested that the apex body to block the law requiring the video-sharing app TikTok to be sold or shut down by January 19. Interestingly, the deadline for the app to be possibly banned falls before Trump assumes the Oval Office. In the brief, Trump asked the court to delay the case so that he could address the matter when he entered the White House.
“President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture,” the brief said, “and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” According to The New York Times, the brief took no position on the legal question that the justices are set to hear. The court will hear the first set of arguments in the case next month.
The justices will be determining whether Congress violated the First Amendment by effectively banning TikTok. The brief submitted by Trump’s team mentioned his expertise in the matter. “President Trump alone possesses the consummate deal-making 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,” the brief said.
The filing mentioned that Trump is knowledgeable about social media in general and TikTok in particular. “President Trump is one of the most powerful, prolific and influential users of social media in history,” the brief said. “Consistent with his commanding presence in this area, President Trump currently has 14.7 million followers on TikTok with whom he actively communicates, allowing him to evaluate TikTok’s importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech,” it furthered.
TikTok moves court to prevent its ban
In its own briefing submitted on Friday, TikTok told the Supreme Court the controversial law violated the First Amendment enshrined in the American Constitution. TikTok argued that the banning of the app would stifle the speech of 170 million American users based on mere speculation about potential Chinese national security threats.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/world/united-states/trump-bats-for-chinas-tiktok-app-urges-top-court-to-pause-ban-to-pursue-political-route-13848135.html.
