Our First Poster President? Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, and the Online Race for the Presidency
It began with a three-word post on X. “kamala IS brat,” declared British pop star Charli XCX. Within just moments of President Biden’s July decision to exit the presidential race, his vice president was not only thrust into the national political spotlight; thanks to the “Von dutch” singer, she had assumed an additional title: internet phenomenon. A subsequent flood of memes and online content overwhelmed social media platforms. Millions of users shared content tying the effortless party girl aesthetic affiliated with XCX’s sixth studio album to Kamala Harris, who had all but wrapped up unanimous support among her party to become their presidential nominee within a matter of hours. In a race previously defined by old age, a relaunched Harris for President campaign seized the moment.
Harris followed XCX on Instagram. Her campaign’s first post on its new TikTok account, @KamalaHQ, showcased the singer’s statement to the tune of “365,” while its X account rebranded with the iconic ‘brat’ font and chartreuse color. Young social media users spread the meme, garnering attention from mainstream reporters and outlets who shared it with network TV audiences. As if Harris’ age alone hadn’t signified a new type of candidacy already, her embrace of “brat” did: a younger, fresh candidate was officially in the race. This marked the kickoff of an online effort to cast Harris as everything her 78-year old opponent is not: relatable and in touch with reality. But her strategy to hammer this down would go far beyond “brat.”
If by this point in the election cycle, you have not heard a reference to coconut trees, Venn diagrams, or the word “unburdened”, you have been living under a very large rock. The Harris campaign has leaned into some of the Vice President’s viral moments of humor, many of which have been previously mocked by her political opponents. This approach has flipped the script on these opponents who have taken issue with Harris’ “word salads,” as the former president’s campaign once described them, contributing to a jump in favorability by nearly 30 points since President Biden’s decision to step down. It turns out voters like to vote for humans – people who laugh, joke, and bring joy to the hardball of presidential politics in today’s America. Hand in hand with Harris’ rise in popularity is her rise in online presence.
Think about it: since late July, how many times have you scrolled through your phone and encountered a positive clip of the Vice President? Did you tune into one of her rallies via livestream? Were you among the hundreds of thousands who commented on a fiery Trump attack from @KamalaHQ on TikTok? Did you open Spotify and begin re-streaming Beyonce’s “Freedom,” Harris’ walkout song? Did a friend send you endorsement posts from Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, or Stevie Nicks? Chances are, you likely answered ‘yes’ to one of those questions. Harris has dominated the internet, and in turn, the public’s perception of her, which her opponent has sought to define in a negative light.
Traditionally, the communications strategies behind presidential campaigns rely mainly on engagements with mainstream media. But the Harris campaign’s ‘go everywhere’ approach has completely redefined this. Rather than limit herself to a series of sit-downs with major outlets, Harris has utilized the contemporary media landscape to her advantage. In addition to engaging with programs like “60 Minutes” and “CBS Evening News,” Harris has prioritized voter outreach via less conventional outlets. She has appeared on popular podcasts, such as Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” and former NFL player Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” to discuss reproductive healthcare rights and her agenda for the African American community, respectively. She sat for interviews on “The Breakfast Club” and Howard Stern’s show, which have a combined radio audience of nearly 15 million listeners. She has also participated in popular online trends, engaging in TikTok trends alongside influencers and completing WIRED’s Autocomplete Interview on YouTube, which garnered 2.3 million views. Last week, the campaign announced a Harris-Walz themed Fortnite map, titled “Freedom Town,” on the popular video game. Her campaign has launched targeted advertisements across Snapchat and Instagram directed specifically at young people, communities of color, and other key voting blocs essential to a winning coalition should she clinch victory on Tuesday.
This strategy has largely differed from that of her opponent. While former President Trump has engaged in a handful of unconventional appearances, most notably the immensely popular “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, he has largely avoided outreach to a diverse swath of audiences, particularly women. He calls in frequently to Fox News programs, hosts an occasional press conference, and gives brief remarks to reporters. But, other than this, he has avoided legacy media engagements – and interviews with local media outlets across the key battleground states – almost entirely. He drew criticism last month for canceling an interview with “60 Minutes,” breaking with a tradition going back over a half-century, which came before his campaign’s later decision to pull out of commitments with CNBC and NBC’s local affiliate in Philadelphia. Which strategy will ultimately prove more effective remains unknown.
In a race expected to be among the most closely contested in American history, it is unclear who will come out on top once all votes are cast. If successful, Harris will not only make history as the first woman and woman of color to ever hold the office, but also as the first presidential candidate to have won in part using a digital communication strategy like this. With all of the narratives and punditry this election cycle revolving around the shifting demographics of the American electorate, one cannot help but wonder if a new voting bloc will soon be the primary target of presidential campaigns: heavily-online internet users.
