In the run-up to the American presidential elections, Joe Biden took the step to TikTok. He made his debut with a 26-second video. This is striking, because the American government has expressed a lot of criticism of the medium in recent years.
In the video shared on Sunday on the campaign account @bidenhq, the 81-year-old Democratic president light-heartedly discusses topics ranging from politics to NFL American football.
When asked whether he preferred the Super Bowl or the famous halftime show, hosted this year by singer Usher, he said he preferred the game. When asked if there was a secret plot to rig the game so pop star Taylor Swift — whose boyfriend Travis Kelce is a Kansas City Chiefs player — could use her fame to support Joe Biden, the president said: “I I would get in trouble if I told you that.”
In the run-up to the elections, the platform is a way to reach young voters, who are the main users. However, several states and the federal government have banned the application’s use on official government devices, citing national security risks.
TikTok, owned by Chinese group ByteDance, has been accused by many American politicians of being a propaganda tool for the Chinese government. However, the company strongly denies those allegations.