Teenager sets fire to congressman’s office over TikTok ban

A 19-year-old Wisconsin man was arrested in the early morning hours Sunday for first going to an office rented by a congressman in Fond du Lac. The unnamed man reportedly told police he was upset by the TikTok ban, which prevented users from opening the app starting late Saturday, but came… Back online on Sunday After promises from President-elect Donald Trump not to implement the ban.

Police arrived at a structure fire at 525 N. Peters Street in Fond du Lac around 1:00 a.m. local time Sunday, according to the local news station. WMTV. The office is hired by U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, a Republican who represents Wisconsin’s 6th District and voted for a TikTok “ban or divest” law that received overwhelming bipartisan support.

The building was empty when the fire broke out and no injuries were reported. First responders were able to control the fire using fire extinguishers until firefighters arrived, according to local media Channel 3000. Judging from a photo released by Rep. Grothman’s office, which has gone viral on social media, the fire appears to have blackened the outside of the door and damaged the air conditioning unit, as you can see above.

The 19-year-old suspect is from Menasha, according to ABC affiliate WISN, which reports that he “admitted to setting the fire in response to recent conversations about banning TikTok.” This man has not yet been identified, but he is being held on arson charges at the Fond du Lac County Jail.

“Acts of violence in any form are not tolerated, and we remain committed to protecting the safety and well-being of our community. I am grateful for the quick response of our officers to help extinguish the fire and locate the suspect,” Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein said in a statement to the local news station. “This is arson.” Wesen.

Rep. Grothman has not issued a statement on his social media platforms such as X, YouTube, Facebookand Instagram But he told the local newspaper FDL Reporter He’s not sure what exactly happened.

“I don’t know yet (what happened) other than that someone tried to set TikTok on fire,” said Grothman, who, unlike some members of Congress, apparently never had a TikTok account at all.

TikTok went dark for US users on Saturday evening, but came back online Sunday afternoon ET after incoming President Donald Trump said he would sign an executive order on Monday after his inauguration at noon. Delay the ban. Curiously, Trump has indicated that he wants the US federal government to own 50% of the app, although it is not immediately clear how this will be done.