Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is expanding his social media presence after getting kicked off the House Intelligence Committee.
On Wednesday, Schiff posted his first video on the massively popular social media app TikTok.
“Hello, I’m Congressman Adam Schiff with some troubling news,” he says at the beginning of the video. “Today, Kevin McCarthy removed me from the House Intelligence Committee all for doing my job, for holding Trump accountable, and standing up to the extreme MAGA Republicans.”
He continued, “We knew it would be bad when the Republicans took over. But it’s far worse than we expected. But I can promise you this, this is not the end of my fight for our democracy, this is just the beginning.”
Schiff ended the video asking for donations.
Watch the video below:
LMFAO Adam Schiff posted his first TikTok after being removed from the Intelligence committee by Kevin McCarthy. pic.twitter.com/IQjwQYtvcQ
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 26, 2023
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) blocked Schiff, the former intelligence committee chairman, from continuing to serve on the panel earlier this week.
He argued Schiff “lied to the American public” during his time on the committee.
McCarthy explained:
“Even the inspector general said it. When Devin Nunes put out a memo, he said it was false. When we had a laptop, he used it before an election to [play] politics and say that it was false and said it was the Russians when he knew different, when he knew the intel … He used his position as chairman, knowing he has information the rest of America does not, and lied to the American public.”
The House speaker also noted Schiff does not “have a right” to be on the intelligence committee. McCarthy added he would allow the California Democrat to serve on other committees.
Several Twitter users roasted Schiff for joining TikTok.
One user named Carlos wrote, “Simply dying at the fact that he’s complaining about being removed from the intel committee on f***ing TikTok. It’s too perfect.”
Simply dying at the fact that he’s complaining about being removed from the intel committee on fucking TikTok.
— Carlos (@txiokatu) January 26, 2023
It’s too perfect. https://t.co/wdbf6iWNN1
Another user wrote, “To show [McCarthy] he is serious about national security after getting removed from Intel Committee, [Schiff] is now posting on a Chinese spyware app.”
To show @SpeakerMcCarthy he is serious about national security after getting removed from Intel Committee, @AdamSchiff is now posting on a Chinese spyware app 🤡🌎 https://t.co/RHjULJfeMV
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) January 26, 2023
Aleksandra Gadzala Tirziu, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, tweeted, “It really is something that a former chair of the House Intelligence Committee’s response to being removed from it for misconduct is to take to TikTok (!!) –– a Chinese spyware app –– in protest. You can’t make this stuff up.”
It really is something that a former chair of the House Intelligence Committee's response to being removed from it for misconduct is to take to TikTok (!!) –– a Chinese spyware app –– in protest.
— Aleksandra Gadzala Tirziu (@awgadzala) January 26, 2023
You can't make this stuff up. https://t.co/4bPSl5y9eH
Meanwhile, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) wrote, “Another reason to ban TikTok.”
Another reason to ban TikTok https://t.co/szJZVIxlds
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) January 26, 2023
Schiff’s post on TikTok comes amid growing concerns about the social media app. Several states have banned it from state-owned devices. The app has also been banned on devices issued by the federal government.
Critics have raised concerns about the social media app’s parent company ByteDance, a Chinese Company. There are fears users’ private data, such as browser history or location, could wind up in the hands of the Chinese government or that the popular app could be used to push misinformation.