With Election Day just over a month away, the nation’s two leading presidential candidates, Kamala Harris (D) and Donald Trump (R), are desperate for as much Gen-Z support as they can grab. From TikTok memes to podcasts appearances, Harris and Trump are taking every advantage possible to capitalize on a new group of voters and the digital shift in culture.
After various Gen-Z TikTok users made edits of Harris’s speeches and promotional videos, the Democratic nominee and her team took to rebranding Joe Biden’s old campaign account into a more informal space, @kamalahq. Harris and her team are consistently putting out TikTok videos in accordance with some of the most popular trends among Gen-Z. She has accrued a 4.5 million follower count on @kamalahq and is promoting her “Brat”-coded personality through edits and slideshows of her different goals and opinions for this election cycle to try to connect with younger generations.
“Harris’ campaign hasn’t wasted a moment in jumping on the meme momentum,” journalist Catherine Kim said in an article for “Politico.”
Former President Donald Trump has taken a slightly different–but still strategic–approach by making a guest appearance on an episode of “This Past Weekend,” a conversational, comedic podcast hosted by stand-up performer Theo Von. In this episode, the two engaged in discussions about golf, Trump’s familial relationships, and even Von’s past with drug addiction.
Von lightly touched on some political topics, such as healthcare reform, but mostly kept conversations at a casual and friendly level.
“My son’s a big fan of yours, Barron,” Trump said during the episode.
Both candidates are taking advantage of endorsements from younger celebrities and content creators and are making sure that these endorsers are made present when and if they attend the candidates’ political rallies.
Harris hosted musical artist Megan Thee Stallion for a live performance at one of her rallies in July, while Trump invited TikToker and social media personality Bryce Hall up on stage to voice his support for the candidate at a rally in September. Both appearances received much attention from social media users who recognized just how much the candidates are changing the style of their campaigns to appeal to younger audiences.
With TikTok’s 1 billion monthly users and YouTube’s 2.49 billion monthly users, Trump and Harris understand the importance of a relevant online presence when trying to target the 77% of Gen-Z voters who use these platforms as a major source of news.
These candidates have made it clear that reaching younger voters will have a great impact on the result of this election. With this being so, make sure to research candidates’ platforms and other campaign strategies to make an informed decision in November.
