The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments Friday morning over whether the social media platform TikTok should be required to divest from its Chinese-owned parent company or be banned in the U.S., in a highly watched case that pits concerns over national security against free speech protections. Justices both conservative and liberal appear skeptical of the social media app’s arguments.

Unless justices intervene, or TikTok’s owners agree to sell, the app will be barred from operating in the U.S. by Jan. 19.
Oral arguments center on the level of First Amendment protections that should be granted to TikTok and its foreign owner, ByteDance.

Noel Francisco, TikTok’s lawyer, told justices in oral arguments Friday that the U.S. government has ‘no valid interest in preventing foreign propaganda,’ and that he believes the platform and its owners should be entitled to the highest level of free speech protections under the U.S. Constitution.

Francisco told Chief Justice John Roberts that he believes the court should grant TikTok First Amendment protections because it is operating as a U.S.-incorporated subsidiary. 

The TikTok attorney was also grilled over the Chinese government’s control over the app, and ByteDance’s control over the algorithm that shows certain content to users.

Asked by Justice Neil Gorsuch whether some parts of the recommendation engine are under Chinese control, Francisco said no.
‘What it means is that there are lots of parts of the source code that are embodied in intellectual property, that are owned by the Chinese government’ and which a sale or divestiture would restrict, he said.  ‘It doesn’t alter the fact that this is, being operated in the United States by TikTok incorporated.’

This is not the first time the Supreme Court has grappled with whether or not full First Amendment protections should be extended to foreign speakers. In previous cases, they have ruled that speech by a foreign government or individuals is not entitled to the full protections. 

The Biden administration, for its part, will argue that the law focuses solely on the company’s control of the app, which attorneys for the administration argue could pose ‘grave national security threats’ to Americans rather than its content. 

Lawyers for the administration will also argue that Congress did not impose any restrictions on speech, much less any restrictions based on viewpoint or on content, and therefore fails to satisfy the test of free speech violations under the First Amendment. 

The court’s decision could have major ramifications for the roughly 170 million Americans who use the app. 

Justices agreed in December to hold the expedited hearing and will have just nine days to issue a ruling before the ban takes place on Jan. 19. 

Oral arguments began shortly after 10 a.m. Stay here for live updates as the oral arguments unfold.

President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced to an unconditional discharge Friday after being found guilty on charges of falsifying business records stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s yearslong investigation. 

The president-elect attended his sentencing virtually after fighting to block the process all the way up to the United States Supreme Court this week. Trump sat beside his defense attorney Todd Blanche. 

Judge Juan Merchan did not sentence the president-elect to prison, and instead sentenced him to an unconditional discharge, meaning there is no punishment imposed: no jail time, fines or probation. The sentence also preserves Trump’s ability to appeal the conviction. 

‘After careful analysis, this court determined only lawful sentence that permits entry of judgment of conviction is an unconditional discharge,’ Merchan said Friday. ‘At this time, I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts.’ 

Merchan added, ‘Sir, I wish you Godspeed as you assume your second term in office.’

Before Judge Merchan announced the sentence, Trump called the case a ‘tremendous setback for the American court system.’ 

‘This is a great embarrassment to the state of New York,’ Trump said, adding that the people saw the trial firsthand, and voted ‘decisively’ to elect him as president. 

Trump said the Justice Department was ‘very involved’ and stressed that a case like this against a former president, candidate and now president-elect has ‘never happened in our country before.’ 

‘And I would just like to explain that I was treated very, very unfairly. And I thank you very much,’ Trump said Friday. 

Merchan set Jan. 10 for the sentencing, just 10 days before Trump is set to be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. 

Merchan, upon scheduling the sentencing last week, said that he was not likely to ‘impose any sentence of incarceration,’ but rather a sentence of an ‘unconditional discharge.’ 

During Friday’s sentencing hearing, Merchan said he took the ‘unusual step’ of informing Trump of his sentence prior to the proceeding. 

‘The imposition of sentence is one of the most difficult decisions that any criminal court judge is called to make,’ Merchan said, noting the court ‘must consider the facts of the case along with any aggravating or mitigating circumstances.’

Merchan reflected on the case, saying that ‘never before has this court been presented with such a unique set of circumstances.’ The judge said it was an ‘extraordinary case’ with media interest and heightened security but said that once the courtroom doors were closed, the trial itself ‘was not any more unique or extraordinary’ than any other case.

Trump filed an appeal to block sentencing from moving forward with the New York State Court of Appeals. That court rejected his request. 

Trump also filed an emergency motion with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that it ‘immediately order a stay of pending criminal proceedings in the Supreme Court of New York County, New York.’ 

The high court denied the request, saying ‘the application for stay presented to Justice Sotomayor and by her referred to the Court is denied for, inter alia, the following reasons.’ 

‘First, the alleged evidentiary violations at President-Elect Trump’s state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal,’ the order states,’ the Supreme Court’s order, filed Thursday night, stated. ‘Second, the burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose a sentence of unconditional discharge’ after a brief virtual hearing.’ 

The order also noted that ‘Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, Justice Gorsuch, and Justice Kavanaugh would grant the application.’ 

Trump needed five votes in order to have his request granted. The note on the order suggests Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Katanji Brown Jackson. 

Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 20. 

Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of ‘lawfare’ promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November. 

President-elect Donald Trump’s winter White House is hosting a parade of House Republicans this weekend, all of whom are hoping that getting the incoming commander in chief’s ear will help an ideologically diverse group of lawmakers get on the same page on a massive conservative policy overhaul.

It is also likely to be another test of Trump’s power over Congressional Republicans and whether his influence will be enough to overcome longstanding fractures on fiscal policy.

‘The president is hosting multiple factions, right? It’s not just any one. The goal is to level-set the understanding of what we can accomplish,’ one GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital. ‘Nobody disagrees, in broad brushstrokes, on the large goals. But there are very specific issues that are going to create concerns for folks. And we’ve got to work through them.’

On Friday, Trump is hosting members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, several of whom voted against a government funding bill the president-elect explicitly backed last month.

He is also due to meet with senior Republicans and House committee chairs, as well as GOP lawmakers from blue states.

It comes amid disagreements between Congressional Republicans on the path forward for the budget reconciliation process. The mechanism generally has allowed one party in control of the government to advance their own agenda through one massive bill.

More specifically, reconciliation lowers the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to just a simple majority, putting it on par with the House of Representatives.

Reconciliation only allows for budgetary and other fiscal measures to be passed. However, both parties have traditionally tried to stretch those parameters to advance as much of their agendas as possible. GOP leaders have signaled they want to use reconciliation to deal with border security, energy policy, defense and to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.

However, there is broad disagreement on whether to split those goals in half. Proponents of the two-track approach believe that passing an initial bill on border and energy policies will allow Republicans to score an early victory there while taking more time on tax policy.

However, those who advocate for just one bill argue that two reconciliation bills have not been passed in decades, given the heavy political capital needed for even one. They’ve warned that the strategy could put Trump’s tax cuts in danger of expiring.

The House GOP conference is also at odds on other details, such as whether to use reconciliation to raise the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions – a move favored by blue state Republicans who represent the suburbs of New York City and Los Angeles, but which rural representatives are against.

‘I think it’s gonna be a good discussion. I think this is a great opportunity for us to discuss not just SALT…This was just about, you know, blue state Republicans coming with our priorities,’ said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y.

The Big Apple’s new congestion tax, tax reductions for seniors living off social security, and using the tax code to bring pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the U.S. were all agenda items Malliotakis named.

‘I have much broader agenda items than just SALT, but SALT is critically important for the New York members in particular,’ she said.

House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., suggested the border would be at the forefront of his mind for his group’s Trump meeting.

‘The main thing is, how do we move forward? It’s going to cost some money to secure our border. It’s going to cost some money to hire more agents. But at the same time, we’ve got to cut spending where we can,’ Moore told Fox News Digital.

‘We need to be on the same sheet of music and I think we’ll have an opportunity for Trump to hear from us, but as well for us to hear from him.’

Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., a staunch Trump ally who said he would also be at Mar-a-Lago this weekend, dismissed concerns about differences on issues like SALT.

‘I think the dialogue is important to have. At the end of the day, we need to deliver for the American people. And so while people feel differently on various issues, it’s important to have that dialogue to figure out how we can put this thing together,’ he said.

Trump himself has not publicly declared the specifics of what he would want to pass via reconciliation. He has said he favors a one-bill approach, but would also be open to two.

Malliotakis and other Republicans on the tax-focused House Ways & Means Committee favor one bill.

However, a member of the House Freedom Caucus doubted that would happen.

‘I think we’ll talk big-picture stuff as far as reconciliation. I’m of the mindset it’ll likely be two bills, not one. But I think that’ll happen organically, you don’t have to force it,’ they said.

President-elect Trump announced a series of Cabinet picks as his Jan. 20 inauguration nears and Senate confirmation begins.

Trump nominated former Fox News contributor Leo Terrell, a civil rights attorney, as senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice.

‘He will work alongside Harmeet K. Dhillon, a fellow Californian, and our incredible Nominee for United States Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the Justice Department,’ Trump wrote. ‘Leo is a highly respected civil rights attorney and political analyst. He received his law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and has defended many high-profile cases throughout his incredibly successful career.

‘Leo will be a fantastic advocate for the American People, and ensure we will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’ 

In an announcement Thursday evening, Trump revealed Christine Toretti as his pick for ambassador to Sweden. He said Toretti is an ‘incredible businesswoman, philanthropist, public servant, and RNC Committeewoman.’

‘She is Chairman of S&T Bancorp, and a former director of the Pittsburgh Federal Reserve Bank,’ Trump wrote. ‘Christine has been a tireless supporter of important causes as a Board Member of the International Medical Corps, former Chair of the Andy Warhol Museum, Director of the NCAA Foundation, founding Director of the Gettysburg Foundation, Trustee of the Sarah Scaife Foundation, and Chair of the Anne B. Anstine Excellence in Public Service Series in Pennsylvania, and the Dodie Londen Excellence in Public Service Series in Arizona.

‘Christine is one of fewer than sixty women who have received the Athena International Global Award.’

Trump also announced retired Army Capt. Sam Brown would serve as the next Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

‘Sam is an American HERO, a Purple Heart recipient, and successful businessman from Nevada, who has devoted his life to serving America,’ Trump said in the announcement. ‘He fearlessly proved his love for our Country in the Army, while leading Troops in battle in Afghanistan and, after being honorably retired as a Captain, helping our Veterans get access to emergency medications.
 
‘Sam will now continue his service to our Great Nation at the VA, where he will work tirelessly to ensure we put America’s Veterans FIRST, and remember ALL who served.’

The nominations come as Trump continues to round out picks for his Cabinet as Jan. 20 nears.

The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate will soon begin holding hearings for Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

Republicans will control the Senate with 53 seats to the Democrats’ 47 once Senator-elect Jim Justice of West Virginia is sworn in later in January and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appoints a senator to fill Vice President-elect Vance’s seat. 

A federal appeals court rejected a bid to block the release of a portion of special counsel Jack Smith’s final report detailing his investigation and prosecution of President-elect Trump’s alleged 2020 election interference and alleged improper retention of classified records. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit denied the request from Walt Nauta, an aide to Trump, and Carlos de Oliveira, the former property manager at Mar-a-Lago, who were charged for their role in allegedly obstructing a separate federal investigation into Trump’s handling of sensitive government records. 

The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals left a three-day hold on DOJ’s release of the report.

Smith was tapped by Garland in 2022 to investigate both the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Trump’s keeping of allegedly classified documents at his Florida residence. 

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges. Nauta and de Oliveira also pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging they conspired to obstruct the FBI investigation into classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. 

President-elect Trump is hosting a group of Republican governors for dinner at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, Thursday evening.

The gathering comes a week and a half before the former and future president is inaugurated Jan. 20 and takes over the White House.

The meeting gives Trump a chance to speak with the GOP governors who will likely play an integral role in carrying out the Trump agenda in his second administration, including his push for mass deportation of immigrants with criminal records.

Among those attending the dinner are governors Ron DeSantis of Florida, Brian Kemp of Georiga, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Fox News confirmed.

DeSantis, a one-time Trump ally who clashed with the former president in 2023 and early last year during a contentious 2024 GOP presidential nomination race, mended relations a bit with the former president after the primary season. 

DeSantis endorsed Trump and helped raise money for the Republican nominee’s general election campaign.

Reynolds, the conservative two-term governor, drew Trump’s ire during the presidential primaries by endorsing DeSantis and serving as his top surrogate during the Iowa caucuses.

‘Excited to meet with President @realDonaldTrump tonight at Mar-a-Lago,’ Reynolds wrote in a social media post. ‘I stand ready to help enact his agenda of Making America Safe, Prosperous, and Great Again!’

Youngkin, who mulled a 2024 White House run of his own before deciding against it, teamed up with Trump a couple of times during the general election campaign.

Kemp, who in November took over as chair of the Republican Governors Association, was heavily criticized by Trump after refusing to help Trump overturn his razor-thin defeat to President Biden in Georgia in the 2020 election. And Trump urged, and then supported, a 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary challenge against Kemp by former Sen. David Purdue. But the former president toned down his criticism of the governor after Kemp crushed Perdue to easily win renomination on his way to re-election.

The two politicians appeared to patch up their differences in recent months, as Kemp supported Trump in the general election.

Politico was first to report on Trump’s dinner with the governors.

President-elect Donald Trump said he respects the Supreme Court’s decision to deny his request to stop his sentencing in New York v. Trump from moving forward, but said Thursday night he will appeal, while stressing that ‘lawfare’ has been an ‘attack on the Republican Party.’ 

Trump’s comments came just moments after the Supreme Court denied Trump’s emergency petition to block his sentencing from taking place on Friday, Jan. 10. The sentencing was scheduled by New York Judge Juan Merchan. 

Merchan, last week, said he would not sentence the president-elect to prison, but rather issue a sentence of an ‘unconditional discharge,’ which means there would be no punishment imposed. 

‘I’m the first president and probably one of the first candidates in history that’s under attack with a gag order where I’m not allowed to speak about something,’ Trump said during a meeting at Mar-a-Lago Thursday night with Republican governors. ‘This is a long way from finished and I respect the court’s opinion.’ 

Trump said he thought the court’s ruling was a ‘very good opinion for us,’ noting that the justices ‘invited the appeal.’ 

‘We’ll see how it all works out,’ he said. ‘I think it’s going to work out well.’ 

But Trump reflected on the ‘lawfare’ that he has been victim of, saying that it ‘was an attack on the Republican Party.’ 

‘This was an attack on the Republican candidate who just won an election by record numbers—the highest number of Republican votes by far ever gotten, and we won all the swing states, we won the popular vote by millions of people,’ he said. ‘They tried to stop that from happening—they tried to stop this election from happening or to bloody somebody up so badly they couldn’t win.’ 

Trump said that ‘the people got it and we won by the largest number.’ 

Trump filed an emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in an effort to prevent his Jan. 10 sentencing, scheduled by Judge Juan Merchan, from taking place. 

‘The application for stay presented to Justice Sotomayor and by her referred to the Court is denied for, inter alia, the following reasons. First, the alleged evidentiary violations at President-Elect Trump’s state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal,’ the order states. 

‘Second, the burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose a sentence of unconditional discharge’ after a brief virtual hearing,’ the court ruled. 

The order also noted that ‘Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, Justice Gorsuch, and Justice Kavanaugh would grant the application.’ 

Trump needed five votes in order to have his request granted. The note on the order suggests Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Katanji Brown Jackson. 

Trump’s sentencing is now expected to move forward, with the president-elect expected to appear virtually for the proceeding, scheduled for 9:30 am Friday. 

Merchan set Trump’s sentencing in New York v. Trump for Jan. 10 after a jury found the now-president-elect guilty of falsifying business records in the first degree, stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges and has appealed the ruling but was rejected last week by Merchan. 

Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Jan. 20. 

Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of ‘lawfare’ promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November.