COMMENTARY
Right-Wing Outraged Over Falsely Thinking White House Press Secretary Said National Security Council Is Using ‘TikTok’

For decades White House press secretaries, military officers, and reporters have used the words “tick-tock” to denote an overview of a conversation, or a chronological telling of a series of events – and not the now-popular Chinese app “TikTok,” which some allege has major national security implications.
And yet, the far-right-wing website Daily Caller, a veteran Fox News host, and many others on the social media site Twitter attacked Karine Jean-Pierre Monday afternoon, after the White House Press Secretary told the press: “I know there was a tick-tock that went out to all of you from the National Security Council that was pretty detailed on how everything broke down for the past week.”
“Tick-tock,” as in government, journalism, political, and military-speak, in use for decades, that means a detailed chronological overview of a series of events.
Not “TikTok,” as in the app from China that may/may not pose massive national security risks.pic.twitter.com/0XbZyr0hpM— David Badash (@davidbadash) February 6, 2023
Inside Elections’ Jacob Rubashkin mocked The Daily Caller, (which was founded by Tucker Carlson,) for getting something so basic so wrong.
👀Not the Daily Caller revealing they don’t know what a “tick-tock” is (a chronological breakdown of events that long predates the app) pic.twitter.com/hCWYrjZj81
— Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) February 6, 2023
Longtime journalist Keith Olberman blasted several people on Twitter who assumed the worst, including veteran Fox News reporter David Asman.
It’s TICK-TOCK, you nitwit. It’s commonplace journalistic shorthand for a timeline. Obviously, you’d never encounter journalistic terminology at Fox, @DavidAsmanfox pic.twitter.com/7S9aWnjOXV
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 6, 2023
He didn’t stop there.
TICK TOCK not “TikTok” – it’s journalistic slang for timeline. It refers to the sound a clock makes. Can you tell time, moron?
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 6, 2023
TICK-TOCK, you idiot. Journalistic/military shorthand for TIMELINE. Ask a grown-up next time
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 6, 2023
Another moron: https://t.co/HuNHDeznEZ
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 6, 2023
“tick tock” is journalistic/military/government slang for timeline, you nitwit. It’s been in use for 40 years. Ask an adult next time
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 6, 2023
Tick tock, you blithering idiot. Journalistic/governmental/military slang for timeline. Christ! Think for once in your life
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 6, 2023
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