The Biden Administration has been using TikTok influencers to spread messages about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising gas prices.
The White House recently held a call between officials and approximately 30 internet stars, who then went online to share the information they received.
One of those influencers is Ellie Zeiler, an 18-year-old who has more than 10 million followers on TikTok.
Zeiler posted a video a few days after the call to answer the question “Why is gas so expensive?”
“Why is gas so expensive, and why is the United States inflation rate at a four-time decade high?” she said in her video. “I had the opportunity to ask the White House why gas down the street is $7 and here’s what they said”.
She claimed the first “obvious reason,” is that demand is going up as the COVID-19 pandemic slows down and traveling resumes.
“But the call was predominantly about Ukraine and Russia, so how does that relate?” Zeiler continued.
“Russia is one of the top three producers of oil and it is actually their No. 1 revenue source. Now, with Putin starting this horrific fight between Ukraine and Russia, nobody wants to work with him and do international trade,” she said.
During the meeting, TikTok stars met with Rob Flaherty, the White House director of digital strategy, and Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Flaherty said the influencers’ reach was “a critically important avenue” to the American public.
Zeiler, whose content is mostly dancing and fashion, told the Washington Post, “I’m here to relay the information in a more digestible manner to my followers”. “I would consider myself a White House correspondent for Gen-Z”.