Politics
Biden campaign makes debut on TikTok
By Jake Beardslee · February 12, 2024
In brief…
- Biden campaign joins controversial social media app TikTok after avoiding it in 2020
- Video features Biden answering Super Bowl football questions
- Platform is highly popular among young voters that Democrats need
- Biden campaign taking security precautions with the app
After avoiding the platform in 2020, the Biden-Harris campaign has made its debut on the social media app TikTok with its first post on Sunday night. The video featured President Biden answering football-themed questions from users to coincide with the Super Bowl. When asked whether he was cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs or San Francisco 49ers, Biden responded “otherwise I’d be sleeping alone” because “my wife’s a Philly girl.”
TikTok has faced heightened scrutiny over its Chinese ownership by ByteDance. Members of Congress from both parties have called for banning the app due to security concerns. Last year, the White House directed federal agencies to remove TikTok from government devices within 30 days. A majority of states have also prohibited TikTok on state devices, according to Politico.
However, TikTok is extremely popular among Americans under 30, with 63% of teens reporting using the platform according to Pew Research. It was the top iPhone app of 2022.
The Biden campaign acknowledged taking “advanced security precautions” with the app, as required given the controversies. As Biden campaign advisors stated, ByteDance has denied that TikTok is “owned or controlled by the Chinese government.” Previously, the campaign utilized influencers rather than officially joining to spread their message on TikTok.
In his first post, when asked about preferring the Kelce brothers, Biden quipped “I understand she makes great chocolate chip cookies” in reference to their mother.