On August 9, 2021, Benito Skinner, the Millennial Generation comedian known online as “Benny Drama,” posted a video on TikTok of his day-in-the-life experience as a White House intern, photocopying, making unrequested nail appointments for then-Press Secretary Jen Psaki, and generally making a mess.
All of it was for laughs, but there was a reason the Biden administration invited him into the West Wing. They wanted Millennials and members of Gen Z to hear a public health message from the TikTok influencer: “We need to get shots in the arms of every single American.”
As hoped, the TikTok went viral. Vogue magazine gushed that with his fake extension nails, seersucker shorts suit, and over-the-top persona, the comic had delivered “instant joy.” Six days later, Kabul fell to al-Qaeda. Critics sneered that the unfortunate timing reflected an unserious administration, but mockery has not stopped the White House from partnering regularly with TikTok influencers to advance their message on everything from vaccinations to the war in Ukraine.
But there’s a more important potential pitfall than decorum. Despite repeated bipartisan warnings about the national security risks of TikTok, the administration continues to make use of the Chinese-owned social networking app. While the White House and President Biden do not have official TikTok accounts, they actively court those with large followings on the platform.
The administration invited more than two dozen TikTok influencers to the White House last month for a briefing on the Inflation Reduction Act in the West Wing. They sat down with Biden in the Roosevelt Room.
Al