TikTok, the popular social media app for making short musical videos, has popularized viral dance challenges like the 'Renegade' and has even spawned bona fide celebrities like 15-year-old influencer Charli D'Amelio. Now, 26-year-old truck driver Joshua Collins is hoping to utilize the user base to support his run for Congress.
"TikTok has been the place where my message resonates most," Collins, a self-proclaimed socialist, told Cheddar.
He's been able to amass 50,000 followers and more than one million likes with a variety of videos both about his campaign and other interests.
In campaign videos, he talks about policies he supports, complete with hashtags like "#anarchy," and "#eattherich." He supports presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders, has featured videos of himself at Sanders' rallies, and is vocally opposed to former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg's candidacy.
The candidate also is a supporter of LGBTQ issues, and said for young people on TikTok, "trans issues are really popular."
Collins, who describes himself as "really far-left" politically says he uses the app to give his take on issues he believes aren't being talked about enough and has compared the Iraq war to President Trump's Iran escalation last month. He also uses the platform to support agendas like the Green New Deal and Medicare-for-All.
Tech apprenticeship platform Multiverse became a unicorn with a $1.7 billion valuation, after raising $220 million in a Series D round. As companies across the country face challenges in hiring and retaining tech talent, Multiverse says it's trying to offer a solution with a new way to train and hire workers that can serve as an alternative to college and corporate training. Sophie Ruddock, VP and GM North America of Multiverse, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Cheddar's Kristen Scholer caught up with all-time NBA great Shaquille O'Neal in his hometown of Newark, NJ, working with Icy Hot to repair rundown basketball courts around the country. The Hall of Famer also spoke about the current NBA finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors and had a lot of praise for the Warrior's guard Stephen Curry. "He's the greatest shooter of all time. I had a conversation with Stephen A. [Smith], where does he rank? He's a special player. He has his own category," Shaq said.
