GOP Rep. Gimenez presses FBI chief on TikTok, artificial intelligence as national security threats
Rep. Carlos Gimenez grilled FBI Director Chris Wray on AI and China during a hearing held by the House select committee on China. (Credit: House of Representatives)
President Biden’s re-election campaign was widely criticized on Sunday for joining the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok.
"Hey by the way, we just joined TikTok," the Biden-Harris re-election campaign posted on X alongside a link to the new account. The first video posted to the TikTok account featured President Biden weighing in on different Super Bowl related questions, such as which Kelce brother he preferred.
"You can’t hide how you didn’t do a real Super Bowl interview," journalist Rebecca Downs responded, referring to Biden’s declining CBS’ offer to sit down with him before the game.
Heritage Foundation vice president Victoria Coates responded, "Great so your message can be managed by the CCP."
CHINESE MIGRANT SAYS TIKTOK HELPED HER TO KNOW WHERE TO CROSS THE US SOUTHERN BORDER
President Biden’s re-election campaign was widely criticized on Sunday for joining the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok. (Fox News)
The move came as a surprise to many, as the Biden administration banned TikTok from being used on federal devices last year. In November, the Biden re-election campaign downplayed a report that Biden's team was considering using the platform owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.
"Biden campaign bragging about using a Chinese spy app even though Biden signed a law banning it on all federal devices," Sen. Josh Hawley posted on X.
Journalist Chuck Ross added, "Just in time for Valentine’s Day. Xi’s gonna love it."
Some feel the president's campaign joining the Beijing-based social media platform could present unique security risks for Biden.
American Foreign Policy Council senior fellow Michael Sobolik blasted the campaign for the decision.
"Biden’s own administration has removed TikTok from government devices for security reasons. His own agency heads have called the app a national security threat. When he campaigned for president in 2020, Biden called TikTok a ‘matter of genuine concern.’ Now, suddenly, it isn’t anymore. Why? Because Biden needs it for his reelection campaign," Sobolik wrote.
"Of course it’s putting political ambition ahead of national security. That’s bad enough. But it also confirms the CCP’s critique of democracy: it’s fundamentally corrupt," Sobolik continued. "That’s the dangerous message Biden is sending to China. No one should let him off for this. A failure of leadership."
The Chinese-owned social media platform is highly popular among younger Americans. Biden has joined forces with TikTok influencers amid his re-election run, and the Democratic National Committee itself previously joined the platform.
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment to the backlash.
The Chinese-owned social media platform is incredibly popular among younger Americans. ((Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images))
Many Republicans resist using TikTok due to data security concerns, while an increasing number of Democrats, notably those with aspirations for higher office, have adopted the platform.
Many others reacted to the campaign joining TikTok:
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Fox News Digital’s Houston Keene contributed to this report.
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