By Daniel Albano 
Photo Credit: Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The U.S. presidential campaign has entered its “TikTok era,” with both campaigns using the platform to engage young Americans. While TikTok as a campaign tool is relatively new, social media itself has long been part of U.S. presidential campaigns. President Bill Clinton and Republican nominee Bob Dole were among the first to utilize social media during the 1996 election. A notable example of social media’s impact came in 2006 when Senator George Allen was followed on the campaign trail by a “tracker” who captured a controversial moment. Allen’s use of a racial slur was recorded and uploaded to YouTube, setting a precedent for using social media to scrutinize candidates. In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump frequently used X (formerly known as Twitter) to rally support and criticize opponents. In 2024, the purpose of using social media in campaigns remains the same: to engage young voters. Although youth voter turnout has fluctuated, with only around 50% of 18-29-year-olds voting in the 2020 election, both campaigns aim to increase this figure. A survey by the Pew Research Center shows that around 4 in 10 young U.S. adults get their news from TikTok, making it essential for reaching this demographic.
Former President Donald Trump joined TikTok on June 1, 2024, debuting with a video of himself at a UFC event in Newark, New Jersey. The post quickly gained traction, with Trump amassing 3 million followers the next day, surpassing President Biden’s follower count of around 340,000. Despite an initial low posting frequency, Trump’s campaign increased its activity on TikTok following Biden’s exit from the race on July 21st. The campaign launched a separate account, @teamtrump, posting content such as an edited video of Hulk Hogan endorsing Trump at the Republican National Convention. Since then, the Trump campaign has posted various memes and edits to gather support. One popular post, with over 7.6 million views, shows two dolphins jumping over a rainbow with the text, “Vote for Trump unless you want to be drafted to fight World War III,” addressing young male voters concerned about the potential for conflict in the Middle East. Another viral post features Moo Deng, a celebrity pygmy hippo from Thailand, overlaid with the text, “Paying for groceries under Kamala,” a comment on economic challenges under the Biden-Harris administration. The account also includes videos emphasizing Trump’s physical and mental strength through intense background music, portraying him as both “joyful” and resilient while targeting support away from the Harris campaign.
The Harris campaign took control of Biden’s TikTok account in July, rebranding it from @bidenhq to @kamalahq. The account’s bio, “providing context,” references Harris’ viral “coconut tree” speech at a White House event for Hispanic leaders in 2023. The first post featured a tweet by singer Charli XCX reading, “Kamala IS brat,” referring to her recent album, Brat, which promotes a bold and unapologetic lifestyle. This resonated with TikTok users, boosting Harris’ following significantly. Vice President Harris launched a personal campaign account on July 25th, posting less frequently. One popular post features Bill Nye, who endorses Harris’ climate policy and labels Trump as a “climate change denier.” Another viral post humorously features Trump’s photo with audio from Nicki Minaj criticizing someone’s makeup. The post quickly gained over 1 million likes. Another popular post shows a shocked image of Chicken Little, captioned: “Trump when you bring up that 140 of his aides and advisors wrote Project 2025,” referencing an initiative by conservative groups aimed at reducing LGBTQ+ rights and women’s reproductive rights. The post targets young female and LGBTQ+ voters concerned about the project’s potential impact.
As of late October, the Harris campaign has 4.9 million followers compared to the Trump campaign’s 3.4 million. However, Trump’s personal TikTok account has 12.5 million followers, while Harris has 6.2 million. According to Captiv8, Trump enjoys an 18.46% engagement rate, closely followed by Harris’ 17.16%. Supporters of both candidates engage by commenting, reposting, and creating their own TikTok edits of the candidates.
It remains uncertain whether this surge in political TikToks will be a passing trend or a mainstay of future campaigns. Nonetheless, reaching America’s youth is a top priority for candidates. Whether these memes, dances, and edits will translate to votes is yet to be seen. However, TikTok has introduced many young Americans to politics, sparking debates on its appropriateness as a campaign platform. As campaign strategies continue to evolve, candidates may rely more heavily on TikTok to engage younger voters and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of political messaging.