Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were not amused. They also didn’t hesitate to sound off with their objections. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, for instance, voiced concerns about “mixed messaging” after noting that Chinese officials can control TikTok algorithms and access the platform’s data.
GOP Sens. Joni Ernst and Tom Cotton had some choice words for the president as well. They slammed TikTok as a purvyor of “propaganda,” noting the fact that federal officials remain prohibited from having the app on any of their government devices.
Cotton then denounced Biden’s arrival on TikTok as a means of compensating for poor polls and public speculations about his cognitive wellbeing.
Following this backlash, the White House emphasized that the policy banning TikTok from government devices still remains in effect. However, the Biden-Harris administration did not confirm the president will be doing away with his new TikTok account.
