By President Joe Biden’s temper flared during a special White House meeting with social media influencers when independent journalist and TikTok star Jonathan M. Katz pressed him about his support for Israel during the war in Gaza. The president went as far as threatening to throw Katz’s phone across the room in response to the questioning.
Katz, who has roughly 70,000 followers on TikTok, recorded the exchange and posted the video on his account, which has since been viewed 28,700 times. In the video, Katz asks Biden what he would do to prevent the ‘genocide’ taking place in Gaza with American-funded weapons. The president attempted to sidestep the questions, claiming he was working to reduce casualties, but grew impatient when Katz persisted.
“I know you’re a typical press guy, you’re grabbing me in front of all this … but I trust you about as far as I can throw your phone,” Biden said angrily. “I have a good arm man. I can throw a long way.”
Following the heated exchange, Katz reported that he was approached by aides and escorted away from the president. He expressed surprise at receiving an invitation to the White House in April, especially considering the president had recently signed a bill banning TikTok.
The White House event included a host of left-leaning social media stars and celebrities, such as actor David Cross, actress Fran Drescher, Yvette Nicole Brown, Diedrich Bader, Jon Cryer, Jordan Klepper from The Daily Show, impressionist Matt Friend, and V Spehar from UnderTheDesk News.
The incident highlights the ongoing struggle for the Biden administration to gain support from young progressives on TikTok, many of whom remain angry at the White House due to Biden’s support for the Israeli war in Gaza. The New York Times reported that the Biden campaign has spent $2 million on a firm focused on social media outreach, and the Democratic National Committee plans to invite influencers to the convention, albeit with restrictions on questioning the president about sensitive topics like Gaza.
Biden’s TikTok presence lags behind that of former President Donald Trump, who recently made a strong debut on the platform with 6.3 million followers, compared to the Biden campaign account’s 376,000 followers.
The president has also faced criticism for his interactions with traditional media outlets, recently complaining that reporters were not following the ‘rules’ by asking questions beyond the scope of Ukraine during a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 Summit in Italy.
As the White House scrambles to earn the love and support of social media influencers, incidents like the heated exchange with Jonathan M. Katz serve as a reminder of the challenges the administration faces in navigating the complex landscape of digital media and public opinion.
