Schiff Takes to TikTok to Carp About Ouster from House Intel Committee

California Dem recently said he doesn’t use the chinese spyware app Rep. Adam Schiff / Getty Images

Rep. Adam Schiff (D. Calif.), took to TikTok, a Chinese spyware app, to complain about being expelled from a House committee responsible for tracking foreign intelligence threats.

In 30 seconds messageSchiff blasted Kevin McCarthy (R.-Calif.), the House Speaker, for removing him from the House Intelligence Committee with Eric Swalwell, a fellow California Democrat. Schiff, who announced Thursday his bid for Senate, accused McCarthy “political retribution” His role in the congressional investigation of Donald Trump’s former president. He directed viewers to his campaign website, and requested contributions.

McCarthy expelled Swalwell and Schiff from the panel Wednesday by stating that they had not been able to participate. “severely undermined” the committee’s national security mission. He cited Swalwell’s past relationship with a Chinese spy, Fang Fang, and Schiff’s role as chairman of the House Intelligence panel in stoking the false allegation that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in 2016.

Schiff’s critics are likely to point to his use of TikTok in defense of McCarthy’s decision to remove him from the Intelligence Committee. President Joe Biden removed TikTok’s app from all government devices last month. Chief administrative officer of Congress last month directed members of Congress and staff to delete TikTok’s app from their House phones. “high risk to users.”

Recent revelations by Schiff about the dangers of TikTok have been made public. Schiff acknowledged that TikTok is a risky app and said that government officials should remove it from their phones.

“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,” He said In a television interview. Schiff stated that he was against a ban on TikTok in America, but said that he would warn children. “to be very careful about your private data if you use TikTok on your phone” Because it “may not be secure.”

It is not clear if Schiff recorded his message using a government-issued telephone or at his Capitol Hill office. Schiff recorded the video at an office that had House of Representatives medallions as background. Members