How Chaya Raichik of Libs of TikTok Became a Right-Wing Champion


Libs of TikTok was created in April 2021 and quickly found a supporter in Tucker Carlson.

Tucker Carlson Libs of TikTok

Tucker Carlson, formerly of Fox News.


Fox News/YouTube


Between November 2020 and April 2021, Raichik tried out a few different avenues and usernames for her Twitter account, including @cuomomustgo, where she called for the resignation of Andrew Cuomo as the governor of New York, and @houseplantpotus, where she acted as a parody of president Joe Biden. 

On April 19, 2021, she changed her handle to @libsoftiktok and said she would provide “your daily dose of cringe.”

From then, Raichik started reposting and compilating content from TikTok users, mostly those in the LGBTQ community and mocked them in the captions. She quickly found supporters in Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, podcaster Joe Rogan, Donald Trump Jr., journalist Glenn Greenwald, and television host Laura Ingraham. 

While Raichik’s username includes the platform TikTok, her account has been permanently suspended. She has also been given multiple temporary suspensions from Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Raichik’s content focuses on anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.

Libs of TikTok

Libs of TikTok’s Instagram account.


Libs of TikTok / Instagram


Raichik has made many statements against the LGBTQ community, referring to them as a “cult” and likening them to “groomers.”

In an interview with the New York Post in February, Raichik said she had gotten several teachers fired from schools after reposting their content on her account, citing their decisions to teach sex education.

“It’s not easy. I really do feel bad,” she said. “Sometimes it breaks my heart, but it has to be done. These kids are so innocent, and they don’t deserve to go to school to get groomed and indoctrinated.”

Raichik’s identity was revealed in a Washington Post article in April 2022.

Washington post libs of tiktok

The Washington Post article.


Washington Post


Before April 2022, Raichik had been anonymous. Then, Lorenz reported her identity and job as a real-estate agent in The Washington Post.

Lorenz reported that Raichik was spreading anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and becoming a prominent figure on the right. She noted Raichik’s influence in getting teachers fired. She also reported on Raichik’s old Twitter account, where she would interact with other right-wing figures, minimize the effects of COVID-19, spread doubt over election results, and share other conspiracy theories.

In response, Raichik said she had been “doxxed” by Lorenz — revealing someone’s personal information, address, contact details, or location. However, others disagreed. Kara Alaimo, a professor of social media and women’s issues, wrote for NBC that “there’s no justifiable reason to protect the identity of someone like Raichik on social media.”

“The public has a significant interest in knowing who is behind accounts that have major influence on public discourse about important issues, like Libs of TikTok,” she said.

Raichik has criticized hospitals that offer gender-affirming care.

Sign that reads Boston Children's Hospital

Boston Children’s Hospital.

Charles Krupa/AP Photo


In August 2022, Raichik tweeted about the transgender care provided at Boston Children’s hospital and claimed it was offering “gender-affirming hysterectomies,” which led to medical staff receiving threats.

The hospital released a statement, saying Raichik’s tweets were “fueled by misinformation and a lack of understanding and respect” and hysterectomies as part of gender-affirming care were never performed on someone under the age of 18.

Libs of TikTok has posted about many more hospitals that offer gender-affirming care, which she has described in her Substack newsletter as “mutilating the body.”

 

 

 

Raichik seems to have a supporter in Elon Musk.

Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, is pushing for a harder-driving culture at the company.

Elon Musk.

Carina Johansen/Getty Images


Libs of TikTok has interacted with X owner Elon Musk.

In April 2022, he “liked” one of Raichik’s tweets where she shared an article from the satirical conservative Christian website The Babylon Bee, titled “Liberals Raise Concerns About Account That’s Making Them Look Bad By Just Sharing Their Actual Words.”

In November 2022, when Musk began axing thousands of employees at X, Libs of TikTok mocked a former staff member in a tweet, and Musk replied.

Raichik has not received any suspensions since Musk took over the company.

In December 2022, Raichik showed her face for the first time.

chaya raichik libs of tiktok

Chaya Raichik is better known as Libs of TikTok.

Fox News


Raichik appeared on December 27, 2022 on “Tucker Carlson Today,” a show on the Fox News streaming service Fox Nation, and showed her face for the first time. 

She told Carlson she wanted to start doing in-person events because she was “ready for the next step.”

During the interview, Raichik highlighted her anti-LGBTQ sentiments, calling the community a “cult” whose members “brainwash people.”

Raichik also said that someone from Gov. DeSantis’ team called her after the Washington Post revealed her identity.

“She said, ‘The governor wanted me to give you a message. He said if you don’t feel safe, you or your family, if you need a place to go, to hide, to stay, you can come to the governor’s mansion,'” Raichik said. “She said, ‘We have a guest house for you, and you can come and stay as long as you need.'”

Raichik revealing her identity also makes her vulnerable to new criticism.

Chaya Raichik

Chaya Raichik near the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.


US Government


Despite unwavering support from the right, Raichik’s interview made her vulnerable.

After just a few hours, she appeared to have been spotted in videos from the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Extremism and disinformation researcher Chad Loder documented videos and images in their newsletter and said it had persuaded them that Raichik was there.

They noted screenshots of a Twitter account, shaya_ray, which software developer Travis Brown identified in April 2022 to be associated with Raichik, which appeared to show her describing heading to DC that day.

“I am taking off work to come support Trump,” one now-deleted tweet said. “Every single supporter matters.”

Raichik’s apparent face is also seen in videos from GoPro footage and TikToks. Loder noted that there was no evidence of Raichik doing any more than joining the crowds outside the Capitol.

Raichik continued posting about schools whose policies she disagreed with.

Chaya Raichik

Chaya Raichik attends the DailyWire+ Red Carpet Premiere of “Lady Ballers” on November 29, 2023 in Nashville.


Jason Davis/Getty Images


Throughout 2023, Raichik continued to post content about school policies she disagreed with. 

Her allegations included accusing a school of teaching with a “pornographic” book that taught “kids about gay sex,” and accusing an elementary school of being “racist against white people.”

A report by Vice in October 2023 found that at least 11 schools criticized by Raichik were targeted with bomb threats just days later.

Raichik insisted “the threats had nothing to do with her or her followers.”

In February 2024, an NBC investigation found that after Raichik posted about an organization, at least 21 bomb threats had followed. The outlet identified 33 instances of violent intimidation overall.

Despite this, Raichik was appointed as an advisor to the Oklahoma library board in January, NBC reported, after finding a supporter in the state’s Superintendent, Ryan Walters.

“Chaya is on the front lines showing the world exactly what the radical left is all about — lowering standards, porn in schools, and pushing woke indoctrination on our kids,” Walters said in a statement. “Because of her work, families across the country know just what is going on in schools around the country.”

Lorenz interviewed Raichik, releasing the video on February 24.

Chaya Raichik

Chaya Raichik being interviewed by Taylor Lorenz on February 24.


Taylor Lorenz/YouTube


After much criticism of each other online, Lorenz and Raichik met in February and an interview was released on Lorenz’s YouTube channel.

Raichik arrived at the interview dressed in a t-shirt with Lorenz’s face on it, seemingly as a means to mock her.

Lorenz quizzed Raichik on her beliefs about transgender people, sex education at schools, and immigration.

During the interview, Raichik said that “not all cultures are equal,” and that immigrants “want to destroy America” and “don’t stand for what America stands for.”

She also said that being trans was “based on lies and nonsense,” and cannot become “mainstream in our society.”

“They’re giving kids porn and telling third graders that they should masturbate,” Raichik claimed of the schools she criticizes, without showing any evidence. “They’re giving middle school children guides to gay sex, anal sex, sex toys.”

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on December 28, 2022, and most recently updated on February 28, 2024, to include details about Raichik’s interview with Lorenz.



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