Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) posted a message on TikTok discussing his removal from the House Intelligence Committee. He used the platform despite warnings against the risks of the Chinese-owned app.
Schiff is one of a handful of Democrats whose committee positions were in jeopardy.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy removed Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from the Intelligence Committee, and he is gearing up to replace Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) in her position on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
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Schiff announced the “breaking news” on TikTok.
“Hello, I’m Congressman Adam Schiff with some troubling news,” he said on the app. “Today, Kevin McCarthy removed [me] from the House Intelligence Committee, all for doing my job.”
Schiff said in the comments that he fought McCarthy and former President Donald Trump “when they tried to tear down our democracy.”
“If he thinks this will stop me, he will soon find out differently,” Schiff said.
“Here’s the kicker: This political retribution from Kevin McCarthy is only going to make me fight harder.”
This is a shift in Schiff’s stance on TikTok. In an interview with Fox 11 News, he said he personally does not use the app over privacy and security concerns.
“I don’t think members of the government ought to be using it on their phone. I don’t use it on my phone, I wouldn’t recommend others, so I’d like to see the federal government not use TikTok,” Schiff said.
Several Congressional members have spoken out against TikTok, and the House of Representatives banned the app from all government devices. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) filed a bill in December that would outright ban the app.
Schiff said he does not support a wide scale ban on TikTok, but he does warn his children to be “careful about your private data if you use TikTok on your phone” as it “may not be secure.”
TikTok is in talks with the White House and lawmakers, and the company is slowly releasing details related to its $1.5 billion plan to allow it to remain operational in the U.S.
Schiff became the second Democrat to announce his candidacy for Senate in 2024, joining Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) in the race for the seat held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
“Our democracy is at great risk,” Schiff tweeted for his video announcement. “Because GOP leaders care more about power than anything else. And because our economy isn’t working for millions of hard working Americans.”
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He continued, “We’re in the fight of our lives — a fight I’m ready to lead as California’s next U.S. Senator.”
Feinstein plans to announce in the coming months whether she is running for reelection, which is likely going to trigger a candidacy announcement from Rep. Barbara Lee (R-CA). Lee said she is waiting to announce her plans out of respect for Feinstein.
