President-elect Donald Trump said Friday that he needs “time to review” the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a federal law banning TikTok unless it divests from its Chinese parent company before Jan. 19 – the day before Trump is due to be sworn in.
Trump added that “everyone must respect” the high court’s decision.
“The Supreme Court’s decision was expected and everyone must respect it,” Trump said in a statement released to Truth Social. “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I need to have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!”
President-elect Trump is shown in front of the TikTok logo. (Getty Images)
The statement came moments after Trump reportedly told a small group of reporters by phone that the bill to ban TikTok “ultimately goes to me, so you’ll see what I’m going to do” after taking office.
“Congress gave me a decision, so I’m going to make a decision,” Trump said, according to CNN, which first reported the remarks.
Trump’s Truth Social post appears to be more respectful of the nation’s highest court, including his decision to uphold a bipartisan forfeiture bill passed last April with broad bipartisan support.
“There is no question that for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, a means of engagement, and a source of community,” the court wrote in an unsigned ruling. “But Congress determined that the seizure was necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns about TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.
“For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that the challenged provisions do not violate petitioner’s First Amendment rights. The judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is affirmed.”
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 23: TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee at the Rayburn House on Capitol Hill on March 23, 2023 in Washington, DC. The hearing was a rare opportunity for lawmakers to question the head of the short-form video social media app about the company’s relationship with its Chinese owner, ByteDance, and how it handles users’ sensitive personal data. Some local, state, and federal government agencies ban employees from using TikTok, citing national security concerns. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Trump sought to delay the law’s entry into force. Lawyers for the president-elect filed a brief with the Supreme Court last month, asking the justices to delay any decision until after Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
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But lawmakers disagreed.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told the Supreme Court in his own filing that Congress specifically set Jan. 19 as the effective date of the repeal clause because it “very clearly removes any possible political uncertainty in the execution of the law by assigning it to an administration that is deeply supported the goals of the law.”
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