Trump Asks Supreme Court to Delay TikTok Ban So He Can 'Pursue a Negotiated Resolution' to Save the Platform

President-elect Donald Trump filed a request with the Supreme Court on Friday, urging the justices to delay the impending federal ban on TikTok.

The ban, set to take effect on Jan. 19, stems from a law signed by President Biden earlier this year requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the platform or face prohibition in the U.S.

John Sauer, Trump's solicitor general designee, argued in the filing that the president-elect is uniquely positioned to resolve the issue diplomatically, the New York Post reported.

"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," Sauer wrote. Referencing Trump's 14.7 million TikTok followers, Sauer went on to refer to him as "one of the most powerful, prolific, and influential users of social media in history."

After initially spearheading efforts to ban TikTok during his first term, Trump reversed his stance on the campaign trail, pledging to "save TikTok" if elected. He now sees the social platform as a "unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech," according to Sauer's brief.

TikTok, which has challenged the law on First Amendment grounds, welcomed Trump's willingness to revisit the issue. "We believe the Court will find the TikTok ban unconstitutional so the over 170 million Americans on our platform can continue to exercise their free speech rights," a TikTok spokesperson said.

The president-elect has also met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, fueling speculation that negotiations may already be underway.

Originally published by Latin Times.