• Join Puck

    Directly Supporting Authors

    A new economic model in which writers are also partners in the business.

    Personalized Subscriptions

    Customize your settings to receive the newsletters you want from the authors you follow.

    Stay in the Know

    Connect directly with Puck talent through email and exclusive events.

  • What is puck? Newsletters Authors Podcasts Events Gift Puck Careers

TikTok in MAGA Land

The China-based company targeted Trump allies in its efforts to prevent a ban, winning a group of unlikely converts. Alas, Republican insiders say, the influence campaign was poorly timed, out of touch, and came on too strong.

David McIntosh
TikTok’s influence campaign was poorly timed, out of step with current conservative moods, began far too late, and ultimately turned off lawmakers with its aggressive tactics. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
Tina Nguyen
March 13, 2024

It’s funny how so many Republican hardliners—including China hawks who’d decried TikTok as a Communist psyop—have suddenly become civil libertarians now that Congress is finally doing something about ByteDance, the app’s China-based parentco. In the end, 15 Republicans (and 50 Democrats) voted against the bill, raising the question: Which of the nays were actually limited-government types voting their principles, which were doing the bidding of the Club for Growth, and which were simply going along with Donald Trump?