The DNC held a virtual event to train Harris supporters on using TikTok to the campaign’s advantage.
The host of the event, Matthew Rein, said that one of the challenges the campaign faces on the platform is right-wing personalities who, Rein believes, are “purposely spreading disinformation about Kamala Harris, about Tim Walz now, about Democrats generally.”
“They spread some pretty horrific lies and propaganda, and TikTok isn’t necessarily always the fastest at getting this down,” he asserted.
“Really our other challenge is that Donald Trump has a very large following on this platform. He has 10 million followers,” Reign said. “Does that mean that he is running his TikTok well? No. But he does have a very large reach on the platform.”
American Faith reported that within hours of signing up for TikTok, Trump gained over 1.3 million followers.
Harris supporters should also aim to “set narratives, “amplify negative content,” and practice the “two Rs,” relating to voters and reacting to the “extreme & out of touch” Trump supporters.
One strategy Rein recommended during the call was “direct-to-camera” clips.
“You could say, ‘Wow, look at what Donald Trump just said about punishing women,'” Rein said. “You transition then to show the clip of that, and then you talk about why that’s bad.”
The Harris campaign’s TikTok strategy follows accusations that it paid influencers to promote the Democratic ticket.
Arizona Senator Jake Hoffman shared screenshots provided by an Instagram whistleblower with 150,000 followers, which allegedly reveal a “sophisticated Astroturfing effort” by the campaign.
