“Are You Now, Or Have You Ever Been, A Member Of The Communist Party?”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) had a bizarre exchange with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew during today's Senate hearing on tech safety when he repeatedly questioned the Singaporeon CEO on his ties to the Chinese Communist Party. https://t.co/YOgmKJdFxy

— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) January 31, 2024

Bobble-throated slapdick.

You said today, as you often say, that you live in Singapore. Of what nation are you a citizen," Cotton asked. 

"Singapore," Chew responded. 

Cotton then asked Chew if he was ever a member of the Chinese Communist Party, to which Chew responded, "no, Senator, again, I'm Singaporean." Chew at one point even reminded the Senator that he served in the Singaporean military for two-and-half years. 

TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, but TikTok itself is an American company. Chew has an American wife and children who are American citizens. Chew being of Asian descent doesn't mean he automatically has ties to China or the Chinese Communist Party. 

This isn't the first time a Republican member of Congress has confused Chew's citizenship. When he was first questioned by Congress in March of 2023, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) asked if Chew was bound to turn over all relevant data gathered by the company to Chinese intelligence as required by law of all Chinese citizens. 

“That would include you,” Crenshaw said. “So if the CCP tells ByteDance to turn over Al data that TikTok has collected inside the US, even within Project Texas, do they have to do so, according to Chinese law?” 

"First of all, I'm Singaporean," Chew replied.

As is the one-eyed jack from Texas. God, we are represented by idiots.