President-elect Donald Trump’s legal team is asking the Supreme Court to hold off on a looming deadline that would force ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the app or face a U.S. ban. 

If no action is taken, the ban is set to go live on January 19—just one day before Trump’s inauguration.

ByteDance is pushing back hard, challenging the constitutionality of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (yes, it’s a mouthful). The case is slated for Supreme Court arguments on January 10, giving everyone involved precious little time to sort out the mess.

In their filing, Trump’s lawyers are calling the timing “unfortunate” and claim it complicates his ability to oversee U.S. foreign policy effectively. 

So why does this matter? 

TikTok isn’t just a source of entertainment; it’s become a cultural phenomenon, a business tool, and, yes, even a platform for political speech.

Whether you’re scrolling for fun or running a small business, what happens next could reshape how Americans interact with one of the most popular apps on the planet. For now, it’s a waiting game—one with high stakes for millions of users.

What’s next? Hard to say. The filing doesn’t offer specifics on Trump’s strategy but makes a case for his unique ability to broker a deal, citing his “consummate dealmaking expertise, electoral mandate, and political will.”

The filing also gets a little personal, mentioning Trump’s 14.7 million TikTok followers. According to his legal team, that following gives him a direct understanding of the app’s role in free speech, particularly in political discourse.

The debate isn’t just about TikTok dances and lip-syncs, though. Supporters of the law argue that the app could be a national security risk, with claims that the Chinese government might use it to scoop up user data or push propaganda on unsuspecting Americans. 

That said, critics, including groups like the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, aren’t buying it. They argue the government hasn’t provided solid evidence of any imminent harm caused by TikTok.

Adding another twist, Trump’s stance on TikTok has evolved. While he tried to ban the app during his first term, he’s recently taken a friendlier tone. On Truth Social, he posted, “FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT WANT TO SAVE TIK TOK IN AMERICA, VOTE TRUMP!”