Vice President Kamala Harris has launched her own TikTok account, following her announcement to run for the presidency.
What Happened: “Well, I’ve heard that recently I’ve been on the ‘for you’ page, so I thought I would get on here myself,” Harris said in her first post on the account on Thursday, referring to her recent popularity on the platform.
At the time of writing, she wasn’t following anyone from the account but had more than 562,000 followers.
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Since her presidential campaign announcement, Harris’s popularity on ByteDance-owned social media platform TikTok has surged, making her a trending topic among Gen Z users, reported The Hill.
Her campaign has capitalized on this momentum, integrating the branding of Charli XCX’s 2024 hit album “Brat” into their social media strategy.
Many believe that Harris’s widespread social media popularity signals growing support among younger American demographics. CNN commentator Van Jones has stated that TikTok has helped transition Harris’s image from “cringe to cool”.
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Why It Matters: Harris and former President Donald Trump are likely to face off in the 2024 presidential election, with the former gaining ground in head-to-head matchups against Trump. This comes after President Joe Biden stepped out of the presidential race last week.
A recent poll shows a close race between the two, with Trump leading by a small margin. However, the lead is within the survey’s margin of error, indicating a potential shift in favor of Harris.
Trump has been critical of Harris, labeling her a “radical-left lunatic” and questioning her trustworthiness and fitness to lead.
Both Trump and President Biden have also used TikTok to reach young voters. The Biden administration and TikTok are currently embroiled in a legal battle regarding the proposed divestment law.
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