TikTok attacks Trump ban as irrational amid talks on stake sale

A lawyer for TikTok told a federal judge that President Donald Trump’s impending ban on the video-sharing app is irrational given that its Chinese owner is in talks to strike a deal the president himself has demanded.

“How does it make sense to impose this app-store ban tonight when there are negotiations underway that might make it unnecessary?” attorney John Hall asked at an unusual Sunday morning hearing on TikTok’s request to temporarily block the ban.

The prohibition, which is set to begin at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, would remove TikTok from the app stores run by Apple Inc. and Google’s Android, the most widely used marketplaces for downloadable apps.