The rise of social media in this November’s politics for Trump and Harris’ campaigns has been a quick and powerful one. In next month’s election, social media platforms are as popular as ever, bringing in a fresher generation and keeping them informed about election issues in an engaging way while also helping the campaigns measure polling trends. Many social media platforms are being utilized to appeal to a younger, larger audience.
Both Harris and Trump are turning to digital platforms on a different level now, marking a shift away from physical promotion into a new generation of tech and online campaigning,
Theater-Arts director Marcy Goodnow said, which brings up the threat of biased news against this type of promotion.
Recently, social media has also been used to transmit quick bursts of political news and updates. After a shocking withdrawal from the race on July 21, President Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the new democratic nominee. Harris later announced her running mate pick: Tim Walz, the current governor of Minnesota. Former President Donald Trump is the republican party’s nominee, with JD Vance: the Ohio US senator, as his vice president pick.
Many seniors and some juniors will be able to vote in their very first presidential election, a milestone that many are taking advantage of after a steady scrolling on their phones.
“Kamala IS Brat” said electro-pop artist Charlie XCX in a tweet, only hours after Harris’s democratic nomination was announced. This strange endorsement came in the form of a Tik Tok trend, something that both parties have begun to take advantage of. Many influencers/celebrities have expressed their endorsement for Harris on social media, such as Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and John Legend, which have simply added to the rally of support behind Harris.
These endorsements are only one example of how Harris’s campaign started over social media, and has continued to grow, with the KamalaHQ Tik Tok account standing at a whopping 4.4 million followers, and gaining everyday. The posts on this account are full of viral audios, hype edits, and recent trends: all being used to inform users about the Harris-Walz campaign.
“They’re [the campaign] trying to connect with voters and especially new voters, which is often the younger generations. They find everything through social media and online, so I think she’s kind of tapping into that,” senior Elliot Krames said. Krames will be turning 18 only two days after Election Day, unfortunately meaning that she will miss out on this crucial vote.
Reaching this younger audience, many who are voting for the first time is crucial, and social media might just be the key. According to a poll taken last November, 57% of youth, ages 18-34, say they’re “extremely likely” to vote in 2024 (CIRCLE), showing just how important this group is.
Besides funny social media trends, Harris has reached out to voters with an inspiring message, hoping to draw them in emotionally. She constantly refers to her middle-class background in Oakland, California to relate with this large group, who today face high taxes and higher costs for household necessities, making it impossible to live off an average wage. Many of her policies focus on growing this middle-class, which is fundamental to strengthening the US economy (CAP).
After Harris’ social media breakthrough, she has continued to be relevant in other entertainment and pop-culture worlds. Saturday Night Live, the long-running comedy show that often does skits pertaining to recent political and media events, opened its 50th season with a parody sketch of the 2024 presidential campaign. With Maya Rudoplh playing Harris and Jim Gaffigan as Walz, they produced a humorous cold open that poked fun at both candidates and their running mates.
Other than SNL, Harris has also appeared on digital platforms that are geared towards the younger generation. On October 6, Harris appeared on Call her Daddy, the most listened-to podcast by women, hosted by Alex Cooper. This 40-minute segment focused on the topic of reproductive rights, and how Harris feels about abortion access as a well-known advocate. Many argue that this collaboration hurt Harris’ image and the “media blitz” she is doing has faced challenges among undecided voters.
The Harris-Walz campaign has gathered support worldwide with its personal, emotional approach to the election, but with its late start to the game and controversial media moves, we will see if it has paid off in November.
Trump’s persona as a confident and outspoken man has stayed relevant in the past three presidential elections. This election is a bit different though, and while his MAGA message stays strong, he is also incorporating new social media moves on digital platforms.
The well-known saying: “Make America Great Again”, is a message based around the belief that America has lost its once great status from years of foreign influence and globalization, and through Trump’s “America First” policies, we will return to that higher state (Britannica). It has become larger than just a simple phrase, it is now a movement across America with millions of supporters. Trump’s character is reflected in this campaign strategy, we can see his drive to keep America successful and help the American people.
The utilization of social media to reach the more relevant voters of today is also present in Trump’s campaign, with the TeamTrump Tik Tok account at 1.2 M followers. The content posted on this account also follows the trends of today, but adds a political message to influence the people watching. In both candidates campaigns, social media can take a wrong turn, and instead of focusing on what their policies will achieve, it highlights the downfalls of the other party,
“It’s really [social media] just trying to make people afraid of the other person winning, you know, and both sides do it. I think it definitely affects the voters, because people get scared, they worry that if somebody gets elected, then the whole world’s going to change,” senior Kyle Dart said. Dart will be voting in the upcoming election this year, his first one.
Trump has received meaningful endorsements as well from billionaire Elon Musk, Kanye West, RFK Jr., and many more. Jake Paul, a well-known influencer and boxer, has also expressed his support for the former president frequently and emphatically.
Former President Trump recently went on a livestream with influencer Adin Ross. At the peak of the stream there were 580,000 viewers as the two spoke about heated topics such as the 2020 Presidential election. This campaign strategy presented Trump to the Gen-Z audience through Ross’s media presence. The influencer is known for his appeal to a young male audience, helping Trump gain more following with younger males through a livestream debut.
On July 13, 2024 Trump was shot at his campaign rally located near Butler, Pennsylvania. Though this violent threat on the former president threatened his life, in some ways it seemed to strengthen his campaign. Soon after this complication, stickers, memes, and other campaign components flooded the U.S. resulting in an uproar of right-wing support.
