Trump Files Supreme Court Bid to Save TikTok

There are 22 days left until TikTok goes live expelled from the USAPresident-elect Donald Trump seems intent on making good on his campaign promise save the application.

Or at least he wants a chance to negotiate an alternative solution that would keep the app available to Americans.

Today, Trump’s transition team filed the request amicus brief with the Supreme Court which calls for a stay of execution on the application so that Trump can use his “superior deal-making expertise” to negotiate a deal that appeases both sides.

According to short:

“With his historic victory on November 5, 2024, President Trump received a powerful electoral mandate from American voters to protect the free speech rights of all Americans – including the 170 million Americans who use TikTok. President Trump is in a unique position to defend those interests, because “the President and Vice President of the United States are the only elected officials who represent all of the nation’s constituents.”

What’s more, the brief said, Trump is “one of the most powerful, prolific and influential users of social media in history,” leaving him in a unique position to personally assess TikTok’s value and threat.

“Consistent with his commanding presence in this area, President Trump currently has 14.7 million followers on TikTok with whom he actively interacts, allowing him to assess the importance of TikTok as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including fundamental political speech.”

I mean, regular users definitely don’t have the same level of insight into how such platforms can be used for influence operations, and confidential briefings by cybersecurity officials is what got most US senators to approve the bill to sell TikTok in the first place.

But Trump believes he knows the app and has stated several times that he likes TikTok now, because he is the “big star” in the app. Which is a far cry from his original attempt make the app sell as early as 2020but Trump tends to pursue his own interests in many respects.

As such, Trump is now seeking an extension to allow for a new deal with TikTok.

Back in 2020, when Trump originally wanted to sell off TikTok (as retaliation against China, he said, for COVID-19), eventually entered into a contract to make the app available sold to the Oracle/Walmart consortiumin favor of his friend, Oracle boss Larry Ellison.

Perhaps Trump could reconsider such a deal, which was all but approved, before the new Biden administration reconsiders its approach. Which meant TikTok was allowed to continue operating under Chinese ownership, but perhaps, with Trump back in power, that deal could be revived, potentially saving the app.

Or Trump may have something else in mind, but either way, the current deadline will mean TikTok will be kicked out of the US before his inauguration, reducing Trump’s ability to find an alternative solution.

The Supreme Court should hear the TikToks the latest appeal against the government’s sell-off law on 10 Januaryand if he grants Trump’s request, it will likely mean that the app will remain available to Americans for at least a little longer.

And maybe Trump can save him. At this stage, there are no details available on how Trump and his team might do this. But he clearly wants to prevent the law from taking effect, and could still provide a lifeline for the platform 170 million users in the US.