Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramasamy has joined the social media platform TikTok, just days after referring to it as “digital fentanyl” during a town hall in Iowa. Ramasamy, who has been vocal about the threat posed China, initially expressed concern about the influence of TikTok, which is owned a Chinese company. However, he was persuaded YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul to join the platform in order to reach young voters.
Ramasamy acknowledges the dangers of TikTok, particularly for young users, but believes that he can only effectively address these issues if he is elected president. In the meantime, he sees TikTok as a tool to gain entry into the Oval Office and communicate with younger demographics.
Despite joining TikTok, Ramasamy maintains that he will continue to speak the truth and not change his stance on the platform. However, in a recent speech in Iowa, Ramasamy omitted his previous description of TikTok as “digital fentanyl,” but still highlighted statistics about its popularity among Gen Z.
It remains to be seen how Ramasamy’s presence on TikTok will impact his campaign and whether he will be able to address the concerns he has raised about the platform if elected as president.
Definitions:
– TikTok: A social media platform that allows users to create and share short videos.
– “Digital fentanyl”: In this context, Ramasamy uses the term to convey the addictive and harmful nature of TikTok’s influence, comparing it to the strong opioid drug fentanyl.
Sources:
– NBC News