A Big TikTok Consideration Trump Needs to Prioritize on Day One
President Trump faces a host of legal issues related to the 2024 Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act
As Congress has found, TikTok represents a serious threat to U.S. national security. It allows the Chinese government to access vast troves of data on TikTok’s 170 million American users. On Friday, the Supreme Court held that Congress’s 2024 Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which requires the sale or closure of TikTok, did not violate the First Amendment.
Nevertheless, the Trump administration reportedly will issue an executive order this week suspending the law for 90 days. According to press accounts, Trump aides say he needs time to make a deal to keep the social media site open.
But such an order may well violate the 2024 Act. The law gave TikTok 270 days to find a buyer or face a shut down – that time period ended on January 19, 2025. Trump has two problems. One, he takes office January 20, 2025, on day after the sale-or-divest requirement has already taken effect. There is no 270-day period left to extend. TikTok must close or be sold before Trump took office. Professors don’t give students an extension after a paper’s due date has already passed.
Politics
National Civitas Institute Poll: Americans are Anxious and Frustrated, Creating a Challenging Environment for Leaders
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Who's That Knocking? A Study of the Strategic Choices Facing Large-Scale Grassroots Canvassing Efforts
Although there is a consensus that personalized forms of campaign outreach are more likely to be effective at either mobilizing or even persuading voters, there remains uncertainty about how campaigns should implement get-out-the-vote (GOTV) programs, especially at a truly expansive scale.
Why Can’t We Have a Real Filibuster?
The history of congressional reform is the history of unintended consequences.
The Ways, Means, and Ends of FDR
David Beito’s "FDR: A New Political Life" could have been subtitled "A New Political Death."
