TikTok Fan Makes Death Threat Against GOP Senator Over App Legislation

‘Callers like this who communicate threats against elected officials could be committing a federal crime,’ Sen. Thom Tillis says.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) answers a journalist's question during a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary, on Feb. 18, 2024. Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) warned of the danger of TikTok’s current ownership structure after a supporter of the Chinese-owned video-sharing app left a voicemail threatening to “shoot” him.

In a March 20 post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr. Tillis shared a 27-second voicemail that his office had received a day earlier. The unidentified female caller—who the congressman alleged was apparently influenced by TikTok’s misinformation campaign—was upset about how the app could be banned.