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After an intersex audience member confronted her, the far-right extremist creator appeared to be at a loss for words. Again.
Chaya Raichik, the creator of the far-right extremist Libs of TikTok hate account, spoke at an Indiana University event on Monday, where she struggled to articulate the things she rails against.
The event drew a modest audience of fewer than 40 attendees, and was hosted by U.S. Rep. Jim Banks for College Republicans. Banks is running for a U.S. Senate seat.
Raichik stumbled when she attempted to define "wokeness."
“Wokeness is the destruction of normalicy (sic)… and um… uh,” Raichik attempted to explain before Banks interjected, defining it as “anti-Americanism.”
The event, highlighted through clips posted by attendee Bryce Greene on X (formerly Twitter), reinforced the criticisms Raichik faces when confronted directly about her views. It isn’t the first instance of Raichik appearing out of depth on issues she vehemently discusses online. A February interview with Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz revealed a similar stunning disconnect, raising questions about Raichik’s grasp of the topics she claims to care about despite her widespread influence.
Greene shared insights from the event in an interview with The Advocate.
Greene said there was an atmosphere of anticipation for the event, but noted that there was a lack of substantive dialogue.
Raichik criticized recently passed legislation in Washington state mandating the teaching of LGBTQ+ history in schools, incorrectly suggesting such education would focus on drag queens and inappropriate content for children. Raichik’s attempts to articulate her stance revealed a significant gap between her online rhetoric and her ability to engage in meaningful discourse on the topics she frequently attacks on social media.
A powerful moment occurred when an intersex audience member confronted Raichik, Greene said. The intersex individual highlighted the inaccuracies in Raichik’s statements about gender and criticized her for spreading misinformation about the trans community and intersex conditions. Raichik, who had confidently presented herself as an authority on gender and sexuality issues online, appeared deflated and had no substantial response to the direct, lived experience of the intersex person.
Throughout the event, Raichik’s commentary on topics ranging from DEI initiatives to the supposed indoctrination of children in schools lacked coherence and facts.
Raichik claimed that DEI policies, which she has criticized in various companies including Mayo Clinic and Intuit, are a guise for excluding white individuals. She emphasized the need to "remove and eradicate" these policies from culture and society, asserting that they harm children, adults, and the overall integrity of educational and professional environments. Raichik positioned the "anti-woke caucus" as a crucial force in Congress aimed at combating these influences, which she suggests are pervasive on college campuses and within corporations.
“It’s harming our children. It’s harming us. it’s harming everyone,” Raichik said. “You see it on a college campus and when you go into the workforce, you’ll see it there with all the DEI stuff. There’s so many companies that the DEI is embedded into their policies and this is how they operate, and DEI is basically this code for less whites when you go into the workforce.”
The interaction further illuminated the gap between Raichik’s online persona and her ability to defend her in-person positions.
“It just highlights how unserious these people are,” Greene said. "They’re not impressive.”
However unimpressive she may be in person, security experts have said that Raichik engages in stochastic terrorism through her Libs of TikTok account. NBC News and USA Today found that after Raichik posts about a person or place, bomb threats and other threats of violence often follow. The Southern Poverty Law Center recently added Raichik to its hate watchlist.
In response to inquiries about the event, an Indiana University spokesperson referred The Advocate to the university’s free speech policy. The policy underscores the university’s commitment to the “free and civil exchange of ideas and academic freedom” while outlining the limitations placed on speech activities to protect public health, safety, and welfare and the disruption of university functions.
Additional video shows at least two people in handcuffs being led away from where the talk was happening.
“During the event, two students became disruptive," public information officer Hanna Skibba said in a statement. "They then refused to leave the event when asked to do so despite at least three separate requests from university officials.”
Skibba continued, “Following their repeated refusal to leave, they were escorted out of the event, briefly detained for questioning, and released.”
Watch the full video of Chaya Raichik’s bizarre appearance at Indiana University below.
U.S. Rep., Jim Banks and Chaya Raichik of Libs of TikTok, speak at Indiana University - Apr., 1, 24youtu.be
