Kamala Harris’ campaign for Presidential run is gaining rising popularity on social media. TikTok is one such platform. TikTok- which once saw a surge in Pro-Trump content, is now witnessing an upswing in Kamala Harris content and memes. The memes celebrate her eccentric personality, linking her to the newest “cool girl” anthems.
Harris-related memes started to take over social media even before Joe Biden declared his departure from the 2024 Presidential election. Harris’ viral catchphrases, zany tangents, and amusing ‘girl boss’ moments reign over the social media platform as users are flooding young TikTokers’ feeds with these memes. One video on the platform went viral really fast where Kamala Harris is seen laughing with an overtone of Gen-Z irony. The video comes accompanied by the caption: “Why did I make this." These memes picture Kamala Harris as a commoner and an easy-going figure, similar to a fun aunty who gives both doltish and weighty advice at a party.
According to a New York Times analysis from May, posts on former president Donald Trump gained double the eyeballs than pro-Biden memes on TikTok. Kamala/Biden HQ account gained 1.2 million followers on TikTok. This number was superseded by Trump’s number of 2.1 million followers in a single day when he officially launched his TikTok account in June. Chi Ossé, the youngest member of the New York City Council and a progressive activist, said, “When you think about why and how Trump got elected and why he's resonating with younger audiences, it's because he's memeable. And when you're memeable, you're a bit more personable."
Democrats are welcoming a reinvigorating wave of change with the rise of Kamala Harris content on TikTok. According to Wu Henry, who is a Democratic political and digital strategist, known for spearheading TikTok marketing, the credit behind Harris’ social media success goes to her relatibility. He says, “The viral clips "show that she's a person they can relate to, and she has some personality.” This is in marked contrast to Biden’s presence on TikTok, as he mostly focused on anti-Trump content, which eventually became materials of laughter at late-night comedy shows.
Henry expresses that the memes on TikTok indicate a sense of cautious optimism about Harris within the minds of young voters. This is in sharp contrast to their concerns about Biden’s centrist stance and age. Henry explained, “She is in a unique position because people see great potential in her possible presidency, not only as the first Black and Asian woman in the role but also for what she could achieve politically.”
Harris' campaign has been riding the wave of this meme impulse, with the Kamala Headquarters TikTok account adopting a Gen-Z style. The HQ account highlights many popular songs, like Chappell Roan’s tracks, which utilise the generation’s symbolic sarcasm, for instance: “Omg they put us on CNN" in response to a news segment. To profoundly resonate with TikTok’s young audience, it also employs trending terms and language like "photos of Kamala with ∞ aura," referencing a trend equating "aura points" to coolness.”
Despite being active on TikTok since Biden’s campaign in February, the account gained more than 40 per cent of likes in just three days when it was rebranded from Biden HQ to Kamala HQ.
Undoubtedly, the memes are gaining traction due to the humour. However, the audience relating to the memes signifies more than just a shared desire for comic relief. This situation arose following the latest wave of political turbulence in the country. The rising popularity of these memes reflects a profound shift as younger voters, who previously felt disconnected from Biden’s campaign, are now engaging more with Harris. Although this trend is meant to further bolster the Democratic Party, polling during Biden’s campaign depicted how young voters experienced a withering connection with him. For instance, in a late May poll, Trump outran Biden by 6 points in a competition with third-party candidates. Surprisingly, the most to vote for Trump were among Gen-Zs and millennials.
Nevertheless, the Democratic Party is very optimistic that this meme-driven campaign will make Kamala Harris more popular among young voters.
A post by Emma D on TikTok, which went viral with 900,000 views in just 48 hours, summarizes this optimistic and meme-driven campaign accurately. The post reads, “The rise of Kamala’s memes could be the game-changer for her campaign. She’s the first candidate in years (or perhaps ever?) to seriously address young people as a crucial voting bloc. By integrating Gen Z culture into her campaign, she’s not only being incredibly trendy but also recognising the significance of young voters as a key market.”
