During the 2024 presidential election, the battle was defined by campaigning tactics and ideological contrast. An important factor in Donald Trump winning the election was the endorsement of A-list celebrities or influencers such as Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and Dana White. Elon Musk notably appeared alongside Trump at rallies, donated over $118 million to America PAC (a political action committee backing Trump), and as the owner of X (formerly Twitter), Musk utilized the platform to amplify pro-Trump narratives.
Additionally, under the surprising guidance of his son Barron, who served as Trump’s podcast advisor, Trump’s campaign embraced non-traditional media channels with never-before-seen enthusiasm—a strategic move in gaining him more recognition. By frequently appearing on well-known podcasts, such as Joe Rogan’s renowned show, Trump increased his appeal among young male voters while also energizing his supporters. Trump’s election triumph was largely attributed to his notable growth in the youth vote, which saw him rise from 35% in 2020 to 42% in 2024.
According to a September poll from the New York Times, 28% of likely voters indicated they felt the need to learn more about candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, compared to only 9% for Trump. His familiarity has worked to his advantage, and this was exacerbated by his move into podcast media. After all, he began his career as a public figure with his own reality TV show. Trump uses this familiarity to his advantage as a strong decisive leader despite his conviction of 34 felony counts earlier in the year.
In contrast, Harris struggled to match Trump’s strong reputation and online momentum. The “Kamala is brat” movement inspired by singer Charli XCX had both positive and negative effects on Harris’s presidential campaign. Positively, it has greatly increased Harris’s support among younger voters, especially members of Generation Z. Initially, the polls suggested that Harris was leading Trump at 59% to 38% of the young adult age group of 18-29. Social media participation, memes, and viral TikTok videos helped Harris reach a demographic that is frequently hard for politicians to approach. However, the post-election results showed that young voters favored Harris over Trump by a smaller margin of 52% to 46%. This could be due to Trump’s effective use of influencers and the criticism of Harris’s social media campaign.
Harris’s campaign may have turned off older or more conservative voters who did not understand or value this kind of political tactic. Additionally, many have questioned whether the “brat” persona is consistent with the gravity required of a presidential contender. The movement pared down complex political discourses to memes and pop culture references which supplanted substantive policy discussion. Many also argued that her campaign failed to differentiate her leadership style from the Biden administration. Harris was unable to alleviate worries from moderate, swing voters about her background and tactics, even though many younger and progressive voters found her programs and social media campaigning appealing.
These strategies ultimately made a difference in the result of the election. Trump won in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada. He did better in a number of key demographics and reached a wider base with his unorthodox campaign strategies. Nevertheless, the election showed the importance of the digital strategies that both parties availed themselves of in harnessing the attention and shaping American public opinion.
