The Biden Administration condemned the online harassment targeting a spokesman for the Department of Interior, Tyler Cherry. Cherry was targeted by Chaya Raichik through her “Libs of TikTok” account on X, formerly Twitter.
The White House’s response highlighted the escalation of online vitriol lobbed at individuals based on their identities by far-right extremists.
Cherry was brought on to the Biden Administration’s cabinet as a press secretary for the Department of Interior in 2021 and was promoted to Principal Deputy Communications Director for the department in June.
Raichik targeted Cherry in a series of posts on X, first posting a Cherry’s official portrait with the caption: “This is the Communications Director for the Secretary of Interior,” which she followed up with, “Biden admin try not to hire total weirdos challenge = impossible.” The thread escalated to bringing up social media posts of Cherry’s where he criticized the police and systemic racism. Raichik wrote, “But wait… there’s more,” alongside a photo of Cherry and his husband at their wedding.
Raichik expanded on her derogatory attacks by posting a compilation of photos captioned: “Is this the ‘return to normalcy’ we keep hearing about from the Biden admin?”
The photos included Cherry and Admiral Rachel Levine, who became the first openly transgender person to hold an office requiring Senate confirmation when she was appointed to be assistant secretary for health. Raichik’s post ridiculed the inclusive stance the Biden administration has taken towards hiring openly queer people.
In response to the barrage of posts targeting Cherry, a White House spokesperson says, “No One should be targeted simply for being themselves. It is cruel and unacceptable. This is an administration that believes to our core in the principle that out of many we are one—and we are proud that the people who serve in it reflect those values as well. Tyler is an invaluable member of our team who continues to deliver for the Department of Interior and the American people.”
Raichik has become notorious for her degradation of left-leaning people, and especially queer people, on social media. Raichik routinely promotes the idea that LGBTQ+ people and people who support them are “groomers” and has made appearances on FOX News characterizing the queer community as “poisonous” and “out to groom kids.”
Other targets of Raichik have received death threats and harassment from their near 200,000 followers. Some of Raichik’s previous targets have included children’s hospitals that offer medical care to trans kids and venues that host Drag Queen Story hours.
Photo courtesy of social media
