Soon after I started posting on TikTok in 2019, I deliberately chose to stop commenting on politics — even going so far as to remove early videos that praised Trump’s support for the Jewish community.
I wanted to create a platform to educate others about Judaism and to fight antisemtism, and I thought discussing party politics would only draw toxicity.
In 2022 as I was nearing 800,000 followers, I was vacationing with my family when my account was suddenly flooded by angry comments and videos. I was bewildered.
“So disappointed”
“I don’t understand how you can support or have supported someone so antisemitic”
“I was rooting for you. If you voted for him in 2016 ehh ok…but in 2020? I can’t believe it.”
I realized people had figured out who I’d voted for, based on photos of me taken at a 2020 pro-Trump Israel rally.
Nearly 20,000 of my followers disappeared overnight.