Setting aside questions about the law’s merits and the precedent it might set— not to mention the path it might clear for other targeted media bans — the TikTok ban resembles (if you squint so hard your eyes are nearly closed) a rare example of the government coming together and working across party lines and branches to get something done. A quick recap: As TikTok grew, a small group of lawmakers raised concerns about its connections to the Chinese government, citing intelligence and credible media reports. Soon, President Trump took up the cause and attempted to ban the app via executive order shortly before leaving office. The Biden administration set aside Trump’s approach but continued putting pressure on TikTok, citing most of the same concerns. At the same time, a bipartisan group of lawmakers worked together to write a forced sale into law. Their bill passed the house 360-58, Joe Biden signed it, and Republicans and Democrats congratulated themselves on a job well done. This very special episode of Schoolhouse Rock! wasn’t over yet: Here comes the Supreme Court to review the law and make quadruple sure it’s constitutional.
Wow! Who says the government can’t get things done anymore? Let’s check in with the power players that made this thing happen. First up we’ve got Donald Trump, who deserves more credit than anyone for getting it off the ground. According to the Washington Post:
