The video was one of hundreds of videos posted to TikTok urging the Biden administration to reconsider the Calcasieu Pass 2 project, which is slated to supply Germany with 2.21 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas a year for two decades once it starts operating. And on Friday, the White House made a decision that thrilled environmental activists and influencers — pausing any approvals for new liquefied natural gas projects until the Energy Department analyzes their climate impact.
Last year, many young activists recorded similar videos in an unsuccessful attempt to get the Biden administration to stop the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska. But as left-leaning activists increasingly criticize the White House on social media for issues ranging from its support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to climate policies, they have become a key political force.
TikTok has become an active platform for young people opposing the growth of oil fields and gas plants, and many young influencers are also collaborating with local activists living near potential natural gas terminals or oil pipelines. The White House invited two TikTokers to meet with top officials on the issue in recent weeks.
TikTok has played a growing role in national and global politics since launching in the United States in 2018. Throughout 2020, teenagers on TikTok formed political coalitions to campaign for their chosen candidates, post news updates and fact-check opponents.
A growing number of Americans are getting news from TikTok rather than traditional media, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center. “In just three years, the share of U.S. adults who say they regularly get news from TikTok has more than quadrupled, from 3% in 2020 to 14% in 2023,” the report said.
White House domestic climate adviser Ali Zaidi, who met with the social media influencers in a Zoom meeting this month, highlighted the importance of young environmentalists when he was asked Friday whether the administration made its decision because activists had expressed their displeasure.
“If we get this right, I think young people know they’ve got in Joe Biden, a partner, an ally, a leader who is willing to be forward leaning and fearless in taking on this crisis and unlocking the massive, massive opportunity that sits on the other side of that,” Zaidi said.
Turnout among younger voters provided a critical boost to Biden in the 2020 election, and helped Democrats in the 2022 midterms. But some recent surveys, such as the Harvard Youth Poll this fall, have shown a dip in enthusiasm among voters aged 18-29.
The White House did not respond to a request Friday evening asking for comment on the role social influencers played in the administration’s decision on natural gas exports.
Several Republicans, including Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), condemned the move. “Once again, President Biden has caved to far-left extremists, choosing politics over the actual climate science, gutting the American workforce, and putting America’s national security and our allies at risk,” Sullivan said in a statement Friday.
The Biden administration has previously worked closely with TikTok creators. In 2020, hundreds of Gen Z content creators got together to form Gen Z For Biden, a nonprofit group aimed at leveraging their collective power online to help get Biden elected. When Biden won, thousands of TikTok creators live-streamed election results as they came in, celebrating his win.
However, young people’s feelings toward Biden have soured as his presidency has progressed. TikTok videos lamenting his policies on the war in Gaza, climate change and failure to contain the pandemic, have led to many TikTok creators who previously endorsed his 2020 run, to quietly revoke their support or openly endorse more progressive candidates.
One TikTok audio featuring Biden giving a speech about how “Covid no longer controls our lives,” has been used by young people who have been permanently disabled by the virus to speak out against Biden’s policies. “Look at the thousands and thousands of Americans whose lives will never be the same,” one young creator posted. “Look at them and maybe you can acknowledge how much work there is left.”
As Biden’s reelection efforts take shape, his campaign has doubled down on its efforts to court Gen Z voters through TikTok. Last week, Biden’s reelection campaign announced they were seeking a director…
Read More: Inside TikTokers push to block CP2, exporting liquid natural gas