Share this @internewscast.com
A Rhode Island state senator who was slammed over a TikTok campaign clip of herself twerking defended the controversial video by accusing her critics of ‘attacking a young, energetic person who is filled with joy.’
The video shows Democrat Tiara Mack, 28, twerking upside on a beach in a very revealing bikini and instructing constituents: ‘Vote Senator Mack.’
Mack defended the post Tuesday saying those who are outraged by it are hateful and ‘don’t care about policy.’
When probed about the video, Governor Dan McKee claimed he was not privy to the clip and didn’t even know what twerking was.
Mack entered the Rhode Island legislature in January 2021 – the first black openly gay woman to do so, and set tongues wagging with her July 4 video, which was filmed on one of her adopted home state’s famed beaches.
Rhode Island Sen. Tiara Mack defended her controversial twerking video by accusing critics of ‘attacking a young, energetic person who is filled with joy’
Tiara Mack, a 28-year-old state senator for Rhode Island, posted a clip to social media of her twerking upside down on Monday
Mack set tongues wagging with her July 4 video, which was filmed on one of her adopted home state’s famed beaches.
However, the legislator claims she is not concerned the video will hinder her chances at re-election.
These are folks who don’t care about policy,’ she told ABC 6 News. ‘They care about attacking a young, energetic person who is filled with joy, and undeterred by their hate.’
‘They care about attacking a young, energetic person who is filled with joy, and undeterred by their hate.’
She added: ‘I was elected saying the “F-word” as an unapologetically queer woman. This is the same person that was elected in 2020 who is going to lead with empathy, compassion, love, and silliness.’
When asked on Tuesday afternoon about the video, Governor McKee was perplexed.
‘I have not seen it. What was the term you used? Twerking? I don’t even know what that means,’ he told reporters.
Mack captioned the video: ‘A promised senator thirst trap at Block Island’
When asked on Tuesday afternoon about the video, Governor McKee was perplexed, telling reporters: ‘I have not seen it. What was the term you used? Twerking? I don’t even know what that means’
Tiara Mack entered the Rhode Island legislature in January 2021 – the first black openly gay woman to do so
The video was shared with more than 7,000 TikTok followers on her campaign account – @mackdistrict6 – and sparked a strong reaction, with 4,220 likes in the first 24 hours.
She captured the clip: ‘A promised senator thirst trap at Block Island.’
Mack added a devil emoji, and joked: ‘How many nip slips am I allowed to get on the 4th of July?’
A friend off-camera replied: ‘You already have three.’
But many were unimpressed with the stunt.
One social media user, Sherry Mann, tweeted: ‘Vote Tierra (sic) Mack, or what, she’ll fall on them. How embarrassing to have anyone like this as a state senator. What kind of behavior is this to stick your (big) ass in the air and twerk. What’s this kind of mentality, the kind I don’t want in government. Seriously.’
‘I’m not a conservative and I’m disappointed,’ said another.
‘Where do we draw the line on the behavior of public figures? I like when WE have a standard of decorum that we want OUR people to rise to. To be UNCOMMON to be admired! This ain’t it.’
Another said: ‘We all need our representatives to be someone we are proud to support. Both parties. Deeply saddened that this woman is a senator in any state.
‘If showing your ass was the message you intended, you succeeded. Parents take notes, is this something to aspire to.’
Another added: ‘Do you think this is professional behavior, Tiara?’
Several hours later, as the outcry grew, she tweeted: ‘Damn. Twerking upside down really makes the conservative, unhinged internet accounts pop off on a Monday.’
Tucker Carlson, the Fox News host, was among those outraged by the clip.
He mockingly described her as ‘the next rising star of the Democrat party,’ and added: ‘Why isn’t she Secretary of State? Why aren’t they pushing her for president?’
Mack herself then responded to some of the criticism in her TikTok videos.
Tucker Carlson joked that Mack should be the Democrat’s choice for Secretary of State
Mack is seen in the Rhode Island senate in a photo she posted in September 2020
When one person commented that she ‘set the race back years with this’, Mack replied: ‘This is tacky. This is lazy. What? No, baby girl – this ain’t it.’
Another person commented: ‘I don’t ever wanna hear you complain about how ‘women aren’t respected in this country’ after posting this.’
Mack responded: ‘Honey baby. This ain’t it. Because I have an Ivy League degree and I’m a sitting state senator. It’s not about what I’m wearing. It’s not about what I’m doing. They won’t respect me regardless.’
One critic referred to her as a U.S. senator.
‘Do y’all really be coming on the internet without knowing how to do a simple Google search?,’ she asked.
‘I’m a state senator baby girl. The United States ain’t got nothing to do with me. She ain’t got nothing to do with me.’
And some were supportive.
‘Public figures are also real people. If she wants to twerk, let her twerk,’ said one.
‘Be more concerned about her stance on public policy issues, not her dance moves. Remove the stick out of your butt!’
Another added: ‘So because we are public figures we can’t have fun? That’s what I’m understanding you saying.’
Mack is seen on June 20 at a Pride parade in Rhode Island
There is also a serious side to the Rhode Island senator, who was voted into the island’s legislature in January 2021
Mack on Tuesday responded to her critics, noting that she has an Ivy League education and her constituents like her because she is ‘fun’
Another said: ‘Why they hating, that’s crazy. What’s so offensive about twerking. I’m really curious. If you can do ur job, then you can do your job lol.
‘Why does it matter if you twerk on your own free time?’
More politicians should twerk like Mack, another said.
‘Please stop posting your kids. I need to see more politicians doing this.’
Raised in Georgia and South Carolina, Mack moved to Rhode Island to study public health at Brown in 2012.
Her mother, a teacher, struggled to financially support her five children, and took jobs at restaurants and in retail to make ends meet.
Mack’s family was deeply conservative, and in sixth grade she signed an abstinence pledge.
‘Being low income, black and from the conservative Christian South was a lot of culture shock and narratives that I definitely was not prepared for when walking on campus,’ said Mack during the election.
She served as the Youth Organizing Specialist at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, which inspired her to enter politics.
In 2020, she challenged incumbent state senator Harold Metts in the Democratic primary and defeated him, winning 60 percent of the vote.
Metts was a Democrat who opposed abortion and had served in the state Legislature since 1985.
On winning the race, Mack said she intended to champion policies to raise the minimum wage and pass affordable housing reforms.
Mack thinks people voted for her, she told NBC, because voters ‘value people who are firm in their beliefs and who are not going to back down.’
‘I am not going to do that,’ said Mack. ‘I’m going to be unapologetically black, I’m going to be unapologetically queer, and I’m going to be unapologetically young, and I’m going to push back against the system that tells us we don’t deserve justice now.’
In the senate, Mack has introduced a bill that would require sex education courses in Rhode Island to ‘affirmatively recognize pleasure based sexual relations, different sexual orientations and be inclusive of same-sex relationships.’
