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Rhode Island's 'Twerking Senator' Tiara Mack calls her detractors 'RACIST' as she was just 'being herself'

'I’ve struggled with the idea that in order to be respected ... I have to be performing in a way that is inauthentic to myself,' she said

A Rhode Island state senator has no regrets after posting a video of herself twerking in a bikini on the Fourth of July to celebrate, saying she would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

First-term Democrat Sen. Tiara Mack faced quite the backlash after she posted the eight-second clip of herself twerking while doing a hand-stand on the beach on her official TikTok account. The 28-year-old lawmaker said she received death threats after making the post and her TikTok account was also temporarily suspended. However, Mack is far from deterred by the uproar, telling a local news station that she's used the outrage to promote meaningful discourse.

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“It’s been so exciting and fascinating to dive into these conversations with people and to really challenge their thinking,” Mack told WPRI politics editor Ted Nesi, adding that she was just being herself — a young Black queer woman — on her day off. “I’ve struggled with the idea that in order to be respected, I have to be fully clothed and buttoned up and I have to be performing in a way that is inauthentic to myself,” she told the outlet.

Mack, who is running for re-election after being elected in 2020, painted her critics as being both racist and misogynistic, insisting that her TikTok post was nothing out of ordinary for someone of her age to post. “My behavior on my Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok are consistent with a young millennial who is in office and challenging norms,” she told AP. “I’m showing that leadership looks different and welcoming people into the many different facets of my life.”

The viral clip, which Mack filmed on Block Island and concluded with a message saying “Vote Senator Mack!” has garnered millions of views. “It was a way to show that elected officials can be silly and have fun and enjoy a day off,” she said, claiming that state senators in Rhode Island are considered part-time workers. While many of her supporters applauded the candid video, some felt it was inappropriate for a lawmaker to post such content to garner votes. Meanwhile, Rhode Islanders on the opposite side of the political aisle pounced at the opportunity to slander the modern-day left wing politician. Even conservative pundit Tucker Carlson mocked Mack's video on his eponymous Fox News show, saying the senator's “demonstrated talent” proved she was “the next rising star in the Democratic Party.”

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Mack's TikTok account was restored on Wednesday, July 13, and she has since used the platform to respond to the backlash and speak to the media about issues she cares about. The young lawmaker said she hoped to draw attention to education and advocacy issues like abortion rights, environmental protection, solitary confinement, and the Black wealth gap. She has since started an online campaign "#twerkfor" to achieve her objectives.