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Memes and celebrity endorsements: Kamala Harris’ upbeat presidential campaign

The rather unanticipated withdrawal of Joe Biden from the U.S. presidential race and the subsequent endorsement of Kamala Harris put the latter in a tight spot–in terms of campaigning, given the limited time at her disposal. Despite the odds, Harris, along with her team, has been able to pull off a remarkable campaign with many unprecedented manoeuvres including support from celebrities and speaking the language of memes.

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Harshal Thakur
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Kamala Harris

The U.S. presidential election has always been an event at the epicentre of media coverage and the public eye. No other election in the world is scrutinised and analysed as much as the one that decides who will be the POTUS. 

The reason behind the popularity of the U.S. presidential election–besides U.S.’ influence across the globe–is perhaps the fact that there are two parties and two declared candidates involved. As a result, the campaigning phase in the elections is an elaborate and lengthy affair with the candidates visiting, canvassing, and campaigning across states. 

In recent memory, the Obama campaign of 2008, referred to by many as the greatest presidential campaign, saw Barack Obama pull one of the greatest upsets in U.S. election history. It was one of the first campaigns in history that utilised the internet and social media to sway voters and make policies known to record a remarkable victory. 

The 2024 U.S. presidential election has been a chaotic and tumultuous affair, to say the least–some have called it a circus, and justifiably so. While initially slated to be a fight between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the race to White House took dramatic turns as people grasped the new sequence of events unfolding everyday.  

The timely, untimely nomination

Kamala Harris, the incumbent Vice President, announced her campaign for the 2024 U.S. presidential election on July 21, 2024, after President Joe Biden withdrew his bid for re-election and endorsed her. While initially seeming reluctant to withdraw, Biden’s move came as a surprise for many given the limited time before the polling would be underway.  

Despite the limited time at her disposal, Kamala Harris has endeavoured to put on a formidable campaign. 

On July 22, 2024, Harris secured enough delegate endorsements to become the presumptive Democratic nominee, officially confirmed through a roll call vote in early August.

When Harris took the reins of the Democratic party in her hands, many lauded the move as a welcome change for the party, drawing parallels to a Hollywood glow up. Donations started pouring in as soon as Harris’ candidature received the official seal. Harris' campaign raised $81 million in small-dollar donations in the first 24 hours, breaking fundraising records. By August 1, the campaign had raised $310 million. 

The viral appeal ‘Join the call’ circulated almost daily since Harris launched her presidential campaign in the weeks that followed. 

Zoom webinar links and organising calls appeared across social media feeds and email listservs, targeting a wide variety of demographic groups including White Dudes for Harris, South Asian Women for Harris, Latinas for Harris, Native Women + Two Spirit for Harris, Women for Harris, Caribbean-Americans for Harris, Filipino Americans for Harris, Disabled Voters for Harris, Win With Black Women, Win With Black Men, and White Women that could play a key role in Harris' coalition. Over $15 million had been raised through virtual grassroots events in the past week, according to a CBS News analysis.

Harris announced on August 6 that she had chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the election. “As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he's delivered for working families like his," Harris wrote in a statement. "We are going to build a great partnership."

Harris' team ensured that no move of hers stays undocumented with videos of every major milestine being captured and shared across her socials. 

In the 24 hours after announcing Tim Walz as Harris' running mate, the campaign raised $36 million. Compared to Biden’s campaign, Harris relies on a broader and more diverse team of advisors.

Full-throttle campaign mode

Harris adopted Beyoncé's song ‘Freedom’ as the official anthem for her campaign, with permission secured from Parkwood Entertainment on the day of her first rally. In the same month, after Trump played Foo Fighters' ‘My Hero’ at a rally without permission, the band declared that any royalties generated from its use would be donated to Harris' campaign, indicating growing support for Harris. 

Further, a digital ad featuring ‘Freedom’ was launched on July 25. On August 8, Harris' team released an ad called ‘Determination’ in both English and Spanish, targeting Latino voters in key states. The next day, another ad titled ‘Tougher’ highlighted Harris’ background as a ‘border-state prosecutor’. 

Harris’s first rally took place on July 23, 2024, at West Allis Central High School in Wisconsin, where turnout reportedly surpassed that of any Biden campaign event, with spokesperson Kevin Muñoz estimating attendance at 3,000. A week later, on July 30, Harris held an event at Georgia State University’s convocation centre in Atlanta, drawing 8,000 attendees. There, she directly challenged Trump to face her on the debate stage. Megan Thee Stallion performed and discussed reproductive rights, while Quavo spoke about gun violence prevention.

Harris’s official campaign website also lists merchandise for supporters to shop including t-shirts, yard signs, and stickers. 

A noteworthy incident that happened at a rally dubbed "I'm speaking" incident, became a burning topic of conversations across the internet. At a rally at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on August 7, Kamala Harris was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters who chanted, "Kamala, Kamala, you can't hide, we won't vote for genocide!" In response, Harris said, "I'm here because we believe in democracy. Everyone's voice matters, but I am speaking now. I am speaking now." When the disruptions continued, she added, "If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I'm speaking," followed by a sharp look at the protesters. Her supporters soon drowned out the protesters with cheers, as they were escorted out of the venue. 

Harris' campaign has been framed as "a choice between freedom and chaos," centred around the themes of "freedom" and "the future." Her team has emphasised her background as an attorney general and prosecutor to build a case against Trump, particularly highlighting his 34 felony charges. Running as a moderate Democrat, Harris has shifted some of her policy positions since her 2019 campaign, aligning more closely with Biden on domestic issues, especially focusing on reproductive healthcare, criminal justice, and civil rights.

Her campaign has also been noted for its optimistic and upbeat tone. In July, a key messaging shift involved calling Republicans, including Trump and his running mate JD Vance, "weird," a label also used by Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, and others in the Democratic Party. 

Harris has been rather vocal with her comments on Trump. At a fundraiser in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Harris commented on Trump's attacks, saying, "You may have noticed, Donald Trump has been resorting to wild lies about my record. And some of what he and his running mate are saying, well, it's just plain weird." This focus on "freedom" marks a shift from Biden's emphasis on democracy. 

The Harris-Walz campaign has launched multiple ads focusing on the issues they are fighting and attacking Donald Trump and his policies. 

Among the issues that Harris supports and that have been highlighted in her campaign are national abortion protections, LGBTQ+ rights, gun control, and legislation to address climate change. She also supports federal cannabis legalisation, strengthening voting rights, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, and the federal funding of housing. On the basis of these, her team has tried to position her as a progressive leader who is inclusive and a leader that America needs to 

The hip Veep

Kamala Harris’s campaign has been marked for its extensive usage of social media to tap into the young voter base. Harris’s popularity has risen significantly after her nomination announcement. The Vice President has a social media presence across platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook. Harris also has a bilingual WhatsApp channel to target Latino voters.  

Harris’s social media accounts have been fairly active since the time of her nomination and have consistently updated followers about her campaign updates. 

Harris’ social media updates seem to have a personalised touch to them, in an attempt to make people feel more connected to her as a person and stay in touch with her routine.

Given Kamala Harris’ popularity among the younger generation, as soon as she entered the presidential race, a sea of memes and reels started pooping on social media. Suddenly, a generation that seemingly couldn’t connect with the earlier nominees namely Biden and Trump given their age, was involved in political discussions and emotionally invested in a candidate they could relate to or perhaps look up to.   

A-list backing 

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the Harris-Walz campaign has been the support it has been able to muster from celebrities. Besides being endorsed by four out of the six living U.S. presidents as well as other top U.S. officials, Harris has received public endorsement from some of the most popular faces in America. 

Among these, perhaps the most influential or most-talked about has been the support of Taylor Swift. 

Recently, Trump posted AI-generated images falsely depicting the pop star endorsing him. After the debate between Trump and Harris, Swift responded, saying, “I recently found out that AI images of ‘me’ endorsing Trump were shared on his site. It really heightened my concerns about AI and the risks of misinformation. This made me realise the importance of being clear about my actual voting intentions. The best way to fight misinformation is through the truth.”

She then confirmed, “I’ll be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. I support Kamala because she stands up for causes I believe need a strong advocate.” 

Swift ended the post signing it as a "childless cat lady," referring to remarks made by Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance, and shared a photo of herself with her cat, Benjamin Button.

In a similar fashion, singer-songwriter Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas took to Instagram to officially proclaim their support for Harris. In a video, Eilish urged her 119 million followers to "vote like your life depends on it."

Her brother Finneas, also a producer and singer, added: "We can’t let extremists dictate our lives, freedoms, or future. The only way to stop them and the dangerous Project 2025 agenda is by electing Kamala Harris."

Harris’s campaign responded on Instagram, acknowledging the support with a comment referencing Eilish’s song, writing "Birds of a feather," followed by a heart emoji.

Another monumental trend that spread like wildfire was Charli XCX memes. In June, Charli XCX released her song ‘Brat,’ sparking a trend dubbed ‘Brat summer,’ which celebrates a carefree, messy persona. As calls grew for President Biden to step down, Harris supporters embraced the ‘Brat’ aesthetic, using coconut emojis and sharing green-tinted edits of Harris set to Charli XCX's music. After Biden endorsed Harris and Charli XCX tweeted “kamala IS brat,” Harris’ campaign adopted the ‘Brat’ style, with neon-green visuals and Charli XCX's song ‘360’ featured in campaign TikToks. At the Democratic National Convention, the ‘Brat’ meme appeared prominently, with notable figures including Mindy Kaling referencing it in their attire and speeches. 

Other celebrities who have endorsed Harris include Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, George Clooney, Megan Thee Stallion, Ariana Grande, Jamie Lee Curtis, Katy Perry, Cardi B, Cynthia Nixon, Pink, John Legend, Patti LaBelle, Aaron Sorkin, Lil Jon, Oprah Winfrey, Common, Mindy Kaling, Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Foo Fighters, Joe Rogan, and Beyonce among others. 

As the race to the White House unfolds, the Harris-Walz ticket represents a stark contrast to the Trump-led opposition, framing the election as a choice between progress and upheaval. With momentum on her side, Kamala Harris’ candidacy is a defining moment in U.S. political history, one that could reshape the future of American leadership. 

Given the limited time she had to campaign before the polling goes underway, Kamala Harris has turned a lot of stones with her efforts. Harris’ campaign team has tried to position the candidate as the progressive leader America needs, with significant marketing efforts being put across mediums to tap into the diverse set of demographics that the Veep has the potential to attract. Add to it, the dash of A-list celebrity endorsements and Kamala HQ's efforts to ride the relevancy wave with Gen Z, the Harris-Walz campaign is giving the Trump-Vance campaign–if not outperforming–a run for its money. 

Harris-Walz campaign Charli XCX Donald Trump us presidential elections Taylor Swift