The Supreme Court will hear arguments Friday on whether to overturn or postpone implementation of a law to effectively ban TikTok in the United States.
It’s getting awkward for Republicans — including key members of President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming national security team.
The law was the work of GOP China hawks and passed with big, bipartisan margins in both chambers last year. But Trump is pushing the justices to delay its start date this month so he can try to find a “political resolution” to avoid the shutdown of one of the most popular social media platforms in the country.
That’s not what many Republicans had in mind when they championed the law. Some are now pushing back at having the Court proclaim anything other than the law meets constitutional muster.
“I hope they uphold what Congress did,” House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) told us. “It’s absolutely constitutional.”
The leaders of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Reps. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), have also weighed in, asking the justices to affirm the law.
Other bill supporters are trying to avoid taking a side.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the law is constitutional, but that he isn’t opposed to delaying the deadline to find a political resolution.
“As long as we accomplish divestment by the CCP,” he told us.
Meet the new boss…Two of the law’s most fervent supporters are Trump’s pick to be his secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and his incoming national security adviser Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.). Here’s Rubio in late 2022.
So what do Rubio and Waltz think about their soon-to-be boss’ attempt to make an end route around the law?
Rubio’s office didn’t respond to our request for comment.
Waltz declined to answer our questions last week when we approached him heading to the floor for the speaker vote.
The law requires TikTok’s China-based owner, ByteDance, to sell the app to an American company or otherwise face a ban on Jan. 19. Its supporters argue it will protect American consumers from Chinese propaganda and having their personal data pilfered by the Chinese Communist Party. ByteDance is suing on free speech grounds.
