Following President Joe Biden’s resignation and Vice President Kamala Harris announcing her candidacy, a wave of excitement swept through her campaign. KamalaHQ’s TikTok account saw a fivefold increase in followers in the first week alone, with Harris-focused content garnering an impressive 232 million views and over 33 million likes. This significantly outperformed Trump’s total number of likes, with Harris boasting 60 million compared to Trump’s nearly 30 million at the time of publication.
Beyond just the engagement metrics, the campaign observed a surge in TikTok users and content creators generating pro-Harris content at an unprecedented rate compared to when Biden was the primary focus.
Lauren Kapp, who manages Harris’ TikTok account, spoke to WIRED about this digital transformation, stating, “We’re now able to tap into the For You page in a whole new way given the exponential growth of creators generating content about KamalaHQ. This is reflected in our interactions with influencers and celebrities who are now actively engaging with KamalaHQ, a level of involvement we didn’t see as prominently with BidenHQ.”
This symbiotic relationship has led to supporters creating content that the campaign itself reuses and remixes. Kapp shares, “Our audience is always suggesting new sounds and trends, and we are quick to respond, leveraging viral moments to directly engage with our followers in a manner that excites them. Our comment section is full of users expressing their anticipation for our content, fostering a community that naturally amplifies our reach.”
The digital swell of support isn’t limited to Harris alone; political influencers and content creators are also witnessing a boost in followers, likes, and engagement. Many creators mentioned in conversations with WIRED that posts featuring Kamala received more positive feedback compared to content centered on Biden.
Saadia Mirza, a political creator on TikTok, expressed, “The response to anything related to Kamala is extraordinary—I’ve never seen such high levels of engagement for Biden.” As a self-described “Never-Trumper,” Mirza collects news and opinions from various sources online, noting the uptick in interactions, shares, and comments on her Kamala-related posts.
Singer, actor, and political influencer Malynda Hale echoed this sentiment, sharing insights from her 50,000 Instagram followers and commenting on the increased involvement in political discourse due to the pivotal nature of the upcoming election.
For TikTok creator Kelton Allen from Florida, the online excitement has spilled over into his daily routine, exemplifying the impact of this digital groundswell on individuals across various platforms.