Senate Slows Down TikTok Ban Bill!

Thom Tillis shares a constituent angry over his support of a TikTok ban on X. Tillis calls the call dangerous and not good defense for TikTok. Yet, he is on far more dangerous X.

An attack on free speech.

Tiktok has 300 million users. Many influencers, business, workers and media figures use the platform. Even, President Joe Biden uses it.

However members of Congress believe it is a threat to American interests. They want to push for ByteDance to sell Tiktok or force a permanent ban. They claim it is an instrument of the Chinese Communist Party. 

Others believe it's part of an elaborate plot to stifle criticism of Israel. The Israeli government and its proxy groups AIPAC, the ADL and Jewish Federation of America are pushing members of the Senate to ban the app. 

Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin expressed interest in purchasing the app.

While the bipartisan bill to ban TikTok has advanced to the Senate, members have not signalled any debate on it as of yet.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has already signalled that he is a no on the bill.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-MN), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), Sen. John N. Kennedy (R-LA), Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) are on the fence.

Likely a yes on a TikTok ban if a floor vote was held.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (Majority Leader, D-NY), Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sen. Amy Klobachar (D-MN), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Sen. Catherine Cortez Mastro (D-NV), Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sen. Mitch McConnell (Minority Leader, R-KY), Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), Sen. Angus King (I-ME), Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith (R-MS), Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), Sen. J.D. Vance (R-WV), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), Sen. Eric Schmidt (R-MO), Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Sen. John Lankford (R-OK), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sen. Markwayne  Mullin (R-OK) and Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID).

If this bill passes, President Joe Biden signs it into law, it will force ByteDance to sell TikTok to an American company within six months or face a permanent ban.

Biden faces backlash because of it.

So Tillis decides to share a voicemail he gotten from a constituent who was none too happy about the Senate wasting its time on this.

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Tillis shared the recording and called TikTok “dangerous,” appearing to blame the company for the message as they’ve been advocating against legislation that would force the China-based ByteDance to divest from TikTok. Critics have cited concerns about access to user information and manipulated algorithms as reasons for concern over Chinese ownership in the social media app.

“This is a voicemail my office received last night,” Tillis said. “TikTok’s misinformation campaign is pushing people to call their members of Congress, and callers like this who communicate threats against elected officials could be committing a federal crime. The Communist-Chinese-aligned company is proving just how dangerous their current ownership is. Great work, TikTok.”

@letsmakethempay How the TikTok ban helps Israel… and why it matters what you think… #letsmakethempay #politicaltiktok #educational #fyp #tiktokban #gaza #israel #parenti ♬ original sound - Scott Bennett

@debateher #greenscreen #news #uspolitics #tiktokban ♬ original sound - Debate Her

@animalsfoodandmore Look who wants to buy TikTok #fypp #viral #trending #fyp #freespeech #censorship #censorshipisunamerican #censorshipisreal #tiktokban #tiktok #jewish #israel ♬ original sound - Animals Food and More

@imisraell I just a tiktoker fr whos ranting #imisraell #fyp #relatable #tiktok #tiktokban #socialmedia #election ♬ Complete Silence 10 Minutes - Michael Clendening

@btnewsroom Young people on TikTok overwhelmingly stand with P4lestine, and now Congress is moving quickly to ban the platform in the US. #TikTokBan #TikTok #🍉 ♬ original sound - BreakThrough News

@yourfavoriteguy here’s the truth behind the Tiktok Ban #YOURFAVORITEGUY ♬ original sound - YourFavoriteGuy

@cancelthisclothingco Follow the money #freepalestine #freepalestine🇵🇸❤️ #tiktokban #tiktok #congress #politics #israel #conspiracy #conspiracytheory #conspiracytiktok ♬ original sound - cancelthisclothingcompany

In the message, what sounds like a young girl threatens to find Tillis, shoot him, and cut him into little pieces. The TikTok user says she’s trying to “get rich” off of the app and she laughs while threatening the senator.

“If you ban TikTok, I will find you and shoot you. That’s people’s job and that’s my only entertainment. And people make money off there too, you know. I’m trying to get rich like that. Anyways, I’ll shoot you and find you and cut you into pieces,” the user says.

Tillis spoke to Fox News on Wednesday about messages his office has been receiving while TikTok has been debated by lawmakers. He said the message “hurts” TikTok’s case.

So let me get this straight.... 

TikTok ain't going anywhere.

You get a harassment call about a social media app. You gaslight us through another app that actually causes more harm to children. An app bought by a South African/American billionaire who bastardized the app with rampant disinformation, racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, transphobia, adult content, graphic images, state propaganda from not only the U.S. but 100 other nations and have the audacity to bitch about another app. Yet, he doesn't call into question why the app Tillis shared the harassment call isn't banned. X (formerly Twitter) should be banned. Yet, Elon Musk goes to Israel and bootlicks the regime. Now he is given millions in contracts for his crappy Starlink and Tesla vehicles to be used in Israel. 

ByteDance doesn't bow to Israel by removing pro-Palestinian content. The Israeli lobby pushes U.S. lawmakers to waste their time pushing for a ban on social media freedoms. 

We may think its China Russia and Iran. But you must add Israel to this. They are meddling in our elections too.

Just to make sure you don't forget. Donald J. Trump supports the ban too. It was because of TikTok mocking him, Israel and the coronavirus challenges like licking a toilet seat. 

From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free! 🇵🇸 🍉

Cry more!

Israel for way too long has manipulated me with this endless victimhood. All the while pushing for an ethno-nationalist state, Israeli government leaders [both left and right] have called for the eradication of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

The operatives have operated with shell agencies like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the Anti-Defamation League. These organizations operated at the behest of Israel.

Israel has fanned outrage over octopuses, buttons, protests at synagogues, protests at Holocaust museums, blocking roads, blocking bridges, boycotting companies and calling for international sanctions. Now it about regime change and it comes from the biggest U.S. Zionist in the Senate.

Israel keeps calling it an attack on Jewish people and it amounts to antisemitic propaganda. 

Holding these lawmakers accountable is not just a pledge, but a promise. You need to learn who represents your community. Your local community member, your school board member, your mayor, your state representative, your state senator, your governor, your U.S. Representative, your U.S. Senator and the president need to be held accountable for their actions. 

We need to put pressure on Republicans and Democrats to do something to improve everyone's lives.

Keep pressure on them with Israel. 

Israel must be held accountable for war crimes and the U.S. must end its aid. Our taxpayer money should not help Israel any further.

They are feeling it. Democrats know the risk of supporters being turned off by their policies. They know that Biden is under extreme pressure to do something. Arab Americans, Muslim and young voters have vowed to never back Biden putting his reelection chances in danger.

The call number to the White House and U.S. Capitol is now going to be used. This is the official White House numbers 202-456-1111 and 202-456-1414. This is the Congress official phone number, 202-224-3121. Please be respectful to operators, staff members and elected leaders. Your calls are monitored by the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Capitol Police. 

Let them know that "thoughts and prayers," "hearts going to" and "good guys with guns" are no longer acceptable and you want legislation to curb gun violence. Let them know that you are tired of your taxpayer money going to foreign nations like Israel. Let them know that bans on TikTok are bans on free speech. You are tired of hearing about "Israel having a right to..." and the bogus claims of being anti-semitic or in support of terrorism. We have bigger issues at home and our tax dollars should solve the housing crisis, lowering food prices, fixing roads, bridges, helping reinvest in struggling urban and rural communities. We have hospitals closing, big box retailers leaving communities and television programs dying. There are bigger issues in the country than Israel. You want an immediate ceasefire and accountability for war crimes done by Israel. You want no more foreign influence in American elections. You also want to make sure future presidents and lawmakers avoid influence from lobbyists.

If anyone trolls you about condemning Hamas for Oct. 7, 2023, kindly ignore them or respectfully tell them that Israel has committed an illegal occupation of Gaza, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and the West Bank. They shoot innocent civilians and indiscriminately bomb heavily populated areas in Gaza and the West Bank. 

Will you condemn the actions of Israel if I have to condemn Hamas?