It’s that kind of casualness and relatability that has resonated with TikTok users and led to the congressman gaining a significant following of more than two million followers over the past nearly three years.
Beyond alluding to the criticism Alabama Sen. Katie Britt received for her delivery of the GOP’s rebuttal to Biden’s address, Jackson often shares what he’s experienced through his first term in Congress.
Whether it’s the “fake anger” he’s noticing among voices in Congress or being “toast” during the redrawing of North Carolina’s congressional map last year, Jackson often describes current affairs and incorporates videos, like of him boxing, to paint a picture of how he plans “to go after political corruption” if he becomes attorney general.
Still, the congressman was among the 352 members who voted in favor of the legislation that could lead to a nationwide ban of the app, which he has amassed 36 million likes on.
Since the passage of the bill in the House, TikTok users have flooded the comment section in his recent videos, criticizing Jackson for his recent vote and vowing to unfollow him.
The number of followers Jackson has appears to have gone down in recent weeks.
Jackson is not the only House representative who has both taken advantage of the popular app and voted for the bill that could ban it.
Some of these representatives actively use the app to boost their campaigns, while others use it for office communications.
Democratic Reps. Colin Allred of Texas, Adam Schiff of California and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan have all used TikTok as they each campaign for the Senate this year.
Jackson took to the app hours later to explain his vote, saying, “I don’t think TikTok is going to be banned.” The video received several negative comments and has since been deleted on TikTok (it remains on X).
“TikTok may be sold to another company, but it will continue to operate,” Jackson said in the video.
“The bill that just passed the House was about telling TikTok they have to sell to another company.”He also said in a statement, “I’ve said repeatedly that ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, needs to sell their shares.
The best-case scenario is that TikTok continues to operate but is no longer owned – and potentially controlled – by an adversarial government.
That’s exactly what this legislation does.”In an apology video on Saturday, Jackson stated “I did not handle this situation well from top to bottom and that is why I have been completely roasted on this app over the last 48 hours.” He went on to give “more of an explanation” about the bill and his vote in favor of it.
“When I was reading the bill, the part I agreed with was the part that tries to force a sale because I figured this would just be a better app if we didn’t have to worry about the stuff that comes with it being potentially controlled by an adversarial government,” he said.
“The part I didn’t like was the part that threatens a ban.
Half the country is on this app.
It has become a force for good in the lives of millions of people.
So I weighed those two things and the reason I voted for it was because I genuinely believe the chance of a ban is practically zero for a lot of reasons,” Jackson continued.
The congressman’s vote in favor of the TikTok bill comes freshly after a win in the Democratic primary for attorney general of North Carolina last week; Jackson will next face off against a fellow congressman, Republican Dan Bishop, in November.
Some members who voted in favor of the bill believe the US should be able to regulate the technology.
Although state and federal lawmakers have already banned TikTok from government-owned devices, efforts continue to create new legislation that would regulate the app as US officials have warned for years that China’s intelligence laws could enable Beijing to snoop on the user information TikTok collects.
“This is a very close issue and I do not take lightly any adverse action toward a service that is used by over half of all Americans,” Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey, whose office uses the app to share information, said in a news release last week.
“For that reason, I believe that divestiture presents the best option to preserve access to the platform, while ameliorating these risks.”The legislative action toward TikTok stems from national security concerns related to its Chinese parent company ByteDance.
If enacted, the bill would give TikTok roughly five months to separate from ByteDance, or else app stores in the United States would be prohibited from hosting the app on their platforms.
The bill would need to pass in both the House and the Senate before it would be sent to the president to be signed into law.
Though it passed in the House with bipartisan support, the legislation’s fate is less than clear in the Senate, w
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Democratic Rep. Speaking about the State of the Union while seated in the kitchen, where he records many of his TikTok videos, Jeff Jackson adopted a lighthearted tone.
“It’s a little risky to talk about the State of the Union from your kitchen these days, but let’s give it a shot,” the Democrat from North Carolina said before talking about how the room’s lights were three times brighter than usual that evening, his wager on how many heckles he would receive from members of Congress, and how he watched his wife, Marisa, give a standing ovation when Biden brought up IVF because they had both undergone the procedure twice.
The congressman has amassed a sizable following of more than two million over the course of the last almost three years thanks to his relatable and informal style on TikTok. Beyond merely hinting at the criticism that Sen. For her delivery of the GOP’s response to Biden’s speech, Katie Britt was commended. Jackson frequently talks about his first term in Congress and his experiences.
Jackson frequently discusses current events and includes videos, such as one of him boxing, to paint a picture of how he plans “to go after political corruption” if he becomes attorney general. These videos may discuss anything from the “fake anger” he’s noticing among voices in Congress to being “toast” during the redrawing of North Carolina’s congressional map last year.
Still, the congressman was one of the 352 members who supported the bill that may result in the app—which has 36 million likes—being banned nationally. Following Jackson’s recent video, a plethora of TikTok users have flooded the comment section, criticizing him for his vote and threatening to unfollow him after the bill passed the House. In recent weeks, Jackson’s following seems to have decreased.
Representative Jackson is not the only member of the House who has voted in favor of a bill that could outlaw the popular app while also using it. When it comes to their campaigns, some of these representatives actively use the app, and others use it for office communications. Democratic Reps. This year’s Senate candidates Colin Allred of Texas, Adam Schiff of California, and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan have all made use of TikTok.
A few hours later, Jackson took to the app to defend his decision, saying, “I don’t think TikTok is going to be banned.”. After receiving a number of unfavorable comments, the video was removed from TikTok (though it is still available on X).
In the video, Jackson declared, “TikTok may be sold to another company, but it will continue to operate.”. The House recently passed a bill requiring TikTok to sell to a different business. “.
Additionally, he stated in a statement, “I’ve stated time and time again that ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, needs to sell its shares. In the best-case scenario, an adversarial government no longer owns or controls TikTok, but it still functions. That’s precisely what this law accomplishes. “.
Jackson said, “I did not handle this situation well from top to bottom and that is why I have been completely roasted on this app over the last 48 hours,” in a Saturday apology video. He continued by providing “more of an explanation” regarding the legislation and his support for it.
“After reading the bill, I thought it would be better if we didn’t have to worry about the stuff that comes with it possibly being controlled by an adversarial government,” the man stated. “I agreed with the part that tries to force a sale.”.
“The section that makes a ban threat is the part I didn’t like. There are half a nation on this app. Millions of people now see it as a positive force in their lives. I considered the two factors and decided to vote in favor of it because I firmly think there is very little chance of a ban for a variety of reasons, Jackson said.
The congressman, who defeated Republican Dan Bishop in last week’s Democratic primary for attorney general of North Carolina, is set to take on fellow congressman Jackson in November. Jackson’s vote in favor of the TikTok bill comes shortly after.
A few bill supporters think the US ought to have the authority to control technology.
Despite the fact that TikTok has already been prohibited by state and federal lawmakers from being used on government-owned devices, efforts are still underway to draft new legislation that would regulate the app. This is because US officials have long warned that China’s intelligence laws could allow Beijing to monitor the user data that TikTok gathers.
Over half of all Americans use this service, so I do not take lightly any negative action toward it, Rep. A news release from last week quoted New Jersey resident Bill Pascrell, whose office uses the app to share information. However, a social media company under the hostile authoritarian regime of China, which has extensive control over American discourse and popular culture, has the right to be regulated by the US. “.
Schiff stated that the legislation gives “the administration the leverage and authority to require divestiture,” even though he does not support a ban on TikTok when there are less restrictive alternatives. “.
Schiff, who recently advanced to the November election in the California Senate race, said in a statement, “The Chinese Communist Party’s ability to exploit private user data and to manipulate public opinion through TikTok present serious national security concerns.”. Due to this, I think divesting is the best course of action to reduce these risks and maintain access to the platform. “.
TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance is the subject of national security concerns, which led to the legislative action against the platform. If passed, the bill would prevent US app stores from hosting TikTok’s app on their platforms and give the company approximately five months to break its relationship with ByteDance.
Before the bill could be sent to the president to be signed into law, it had to pass both the House and the Senate. Despite receiving bipartisan support in the House, the legislation’s future in the Senate is uncertain due to the absence of a companion bill. Should the bill reach his desk, President Joe Biden—whose campaign has its own TikTok account—said he would sign it.
the matter of the prohibition.
A number of the lawmakers who supported the bill have made it clear that TikTok is not intended to be banned.
Allred, who is running against Sen., claims that “the Chinese government remains the most active and persistent cyber threat to the United States.”. Ted Cruz stated on Wednesday in a press release. “ByteDance must completely divest from TikTok; this is not a ban; rather, it establishes a mechanism to maintain TikTok and safeguard our liberties and privacy.”. “.
A number of other delegates have admitted that their employees utilize the application. In an X statement, Slotkin stated, “It’s important to recognize that TikTok’s ability to reach” Michiganders benefits me.
In line to succeed Sen., Slotkin declared, “I’m a candidate, as you said, for Senate.”. Debbie Stabenow said to Andrea Mitchell of MSNBC on Thursday. Do you really think that I don’t have nieces, nephews, and staff members who are TikTok users who adore the platform? I mean, most of us want it to be accessible. I am against outlawing it. I simply object to that data being under Chinese government control. “.
But TikTok criticized House lawmakers for moving the bill along too quickly and expressed their hope that the Senate will recognize the app’s influence.
Since the bill is a ban, the secretive process was necessary to get it passed. According to a statement from a TikTok representative, “We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service.”.
Digital strategist Annie Wu Henry, who accused Sen. According to John Fetterman, who used the app during his 2022 campaign, TikTok offers a fair and accessible platform for people, organizations, politicians, and activists to speak out and gain recognition. The internet, according to her, is becoming a more significant and useful tool for raising money, organizing people, disseminating information, and building brand and name recognition.
“It would mean losing a space for people to come together, express themselves, and share their opinions with the public,” Henry stated.
Communications with constituents.
Some members of Congress use the app through their offices to discuss current events and legislative priorities, in addition to the House members who have downloaded it in order to use it for campaigning.
Democratic Reps. are among the members who use it to share updates about what their offices are doing. Wiley Nickel of North Carolina, Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, Sean Casten of Illinois, and Greg Landsman of Ohio all voted in favor of the bill that might outlaw TikTok in the United States. Pascrell.
According to Landsman, he communicates with constituents via the majority of social media platforms, informing them about services they might be eligible for, ways in which we can assist, and legislation that is currently under development. Simply exhibiting the highest level of accountability and transparency. “.
The congressman from the Democratic Party stated that even though TikTok is prohibited, he will still use other social media sites. However, he expressed doubts that this will occur. “.
“The bill is actually intended to sell TikTok rather than to outlaw it. Thus, this provides the administration and those much closer to the situation with the leverage they need to resolve the issue,” he stated.
What worries Henry is that in the long run, “it kind of opens the flood gate for there to be banning of other apps because what if something else pops up? Is it going to be banned because people have concerns about it, or issues, or people maybe just don’t like it?”.
Casten, Nickel, and Stansbury’s offices have been contacted by CNN for comments.
