A judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit hypothetically asked a Department of Justice attorney whether the president has the authority to issue an executive order shutting down a U.S.-based platform used to stage a coup against the federal government.

Circuit Judge Ryan Nelson posed the question during a hearing Thursday over a preliminary injunction halting President Donald Trump’s executive order banning WeChat in the United States. However, the inquiry is increasingly relevant after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol last week and as governmental buildings and courts brace for more attacks ahead of the inauguration.