Supreme Court Declines To Help Trump-Musk

The Supreme Court declined to hear a case related to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s secret warrant for former President Trump’s data from Twitter (now known as X). This decision leaves unresolved legal questions about government access to social media data, though it won't affect the data already obtained by Smith.

Smith obtained key social media data on Trump from early 2023, which could play a critical role in the ongoing federal election-subversion case. The data covers Trump’s activity on Twitter leading up to and during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. This information may be vital evidence if the case goes to trial.

Twitter, under Elon Musk's ownership, resisted handing over the data, missing court-ordered deadlines, which led to a fine of $350,000. The federal district court judge, Beryl Howell, speculated that Musk might have been involved in the resistance, though Musk's attorneys denied this claim.

X attempted to bring the case to the Supreme Court, arguing that the broader issue of nondisclosure orders (NDOs) should be addressed. However, the justices declined to take up the case, as part of a routine process where no explanation or dissent was provided. This leaves the door open for future legal battles over government access to social media accounts.

Smith’s filings highlight the significance of the data, particularly Trump’s tweets on and before January 6. He confirmed that Trump personally sent tweets from the Oval Office dining room, including one attacking then-Vice President Mike Pence during the height of the Capitol violence, accusing him of lacking the courage to overturn the election results.