Staff Reports
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has decided to dive headfirst into the TikTok pool, joining a growing number of politicians hopping on the viral platform. Everyone from former President Donald Trump to Vice President Kamala Harris has opened accounts, seemingly attempting to connect with the elusive young voter demographic. As of now, Buttigieg, who seems more interested in TikTok than fixing transportation woes, boasts a modest following of 180,000 on the app.
In his debut video, Buttigieg makes a comedic nod to his frequent appearances on Fox News, reminding viewers he’s not just a transportation czar but now a TikTok star—because apparently, the people were waiting for a new social media personality from the Biden administration. The introduction to the digital realm may be more of an attempt at a popularity refresh than a serious outreach effort, though the cringe factor remains high.
Pete Buttigieg joins TikTok.
“I’m Pete Buttigieg. You might recognize me from Fox News. Now I’m on TikTok. Obviously.” pic.twitter.com/EdRhwQJwOl
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) August 21, 2024
This latest social media craze comes in the wake of President Biden signing a bill aimed at bringing TikTok’s Chinese overlords, ByteDance, to heel. Amid geopolitical tensions, it would make sense for the Biden administration to tread carefully. However, rather than take a hard stance, it appears they are more focused on shuffling around social media handles than dealing with actual international concerns. ByteDance’s CEO has boldly declared they plan to stick around, raising questions about the seriousness of U.S. lawmakers on this issue.
Once again, the irony of politicians trying to win over youth online is glaring. Kamala Harris has taken a rather robust approach with her TikTok account, racking up 3.7 million followers promoting her presidential ambitions. Not to be outdone, Joe Biden’s ghost of charisma continues to flounder as Harris outshines him in the TikTok follower department, all while Biden himself seems to have run as far from a 2024 campaign as he can manage.
Meanwhile, Trump is playing his own game, having joined TikTok only a few months ago—showing that even political stalwarts can adapt to modern times. With a whopping 10.5 million followers, Trump has easily outpaced Buttigieg and Harris, proving that even as a former president, he knows how to work the social media angle better than his competitors. While Vance in Ohio and Walz in Minnesota are trying their hands at TikTok, it’s clear that the former president is lighting a path that even Buttigieg may find hard to follow.
While some view TikTok as the new frontier in politics, the reality is that it tends to transform serious issues into fleeting moments of entertainment. Buttigieg’s move to the platform suggests that the transportation department, despite its critical responsibilities, has found itself competing for the same attention as dance challenges and lip-sync videos. One can only hope that while they’re dancing on TikTok, they’re not neglecting the very real issues back on the ground. But then again, maybe that’s the point—if no one’s paying attention to the transportation crisis, they can keep TikToking their way through the country’s problems.
