Fox News star Jesse Watters noted during a segment on Thursday’s “The Five,” which he co-hosts that Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign has one major advantage over that of former President Donald Trump, adding were not for that, she wouldn’t be polling anywhere close to him. During the segment Watters concurred with the most other panelists that Harris’ race against Trump will be closer than expected thanks to over-the-top media bias in her favor.
“It’s going to be close. And if we had a fair press, this would be a landslide. Democrats would never win another national election again if we had a fair press. Three months before the election, this woman comes out, and she has a record that says I want to get rid of ICE, private health care, guns, and then says, actually, I don’t believe any of that,” he said.
“And it’s like Trump coming out tomorrow and saying we are not going to do the wall, and we are going to raise taxes. What? No! And so the media usually would be curious. Why? What happened here? No. They are scrubbing the internet of this stuff. And then they are censoring pictures of Donald Trump in searches for Donald Trump. And the Democratic Party doesn’t even care,” he added.
WATCH:
Fox’s Jesse Watters: If the American media weren’t Democratic Party propagandists, the race between Harris and Trump wouldn’t be close — as in, she’d be getting walloped.
Absolutely right. pic.twitter.com/xRKmq3GF1u
— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) August 2, 2024
That said, several Gen-Z online content creators have told the Daily Caller that the ‘Kamala is Brat’ TikTok trend and other viral Kamala Harris meme videos may be astroturf efforts by Harris’s campaign and allies to artificially boost her appeal among young voters.
Soon after Harris emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee, old clips of her began circulating widely online, often repurposed into memes designed to portray her as cool or humorous. While Democrats have hailed these videos as signs of genuine enthusiasm for Harris, some content creators argue that they were paid to promote her or that the campaign’s efforts appear more manufactured than grassroots, the outlet reported.
Comedian Steve McGrew recently shared an email online that appears to offer payment for posting positive content about Kamala Harris. According to the email, sent by a company called “LaunchViral,” the requirements include encouraging fans to share, like, and follow Harris, posting one or more memes, and using hashtags related to the Harris campaign on TikTok, Instagram, or both. The email also mentions a $150 cash bonus as an incentive for participation, which is detailed on a signup webpage.
“We’re excited to offer you a collaboration opportunity with Kamala Harris 2024 Presidential Campaign,” the advertisement email states. The application link within the email has since been deactivated following online backlash.
Content creators have suggested that lighthearted Harris videos, such as those poking fun at her coconut tree anecdote or “Kamala IS brat” clips referencing British pop singer Charlie XCX’s new album “brat,” might be part of a strategy by Democrats to artificially boost support for their candidate through social media manipulation. Chrissy Clark, a Gen-Z conservative commentator formerly with the Daily Caller, claimed that Democrats are engaging in “dystopian shit” to sway the election. She alleged that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) operates an “influencer dark network” responsible for the viral videos, suggesting that this effort will only intensify.
The Caller noted further:
Promoting online trends are necessary to build up Kamala’s image and rebrand her as “cool and approachable”, according to Clark. The memes are attempts to drown out the voices of other creators stating they won’t vote for her just because “she’s a woman, or because she is black”, Clark told The Daily Caller.
These meme videos are becoming viral because younger generations interact with them thinking “she is easy to make fun of,” according to social media influencerSavannah Fuhr.
“She hasn’t done a good job of representing the people,” Fuhr told The Daily Caller. “Gen Z is looking for a leader” who will promote policies that help lift Americans out of the financial crisis, she added. Although young generations laugh at these videos, it’s not enough to convince them “to actually vote for her”, Fuhr claimed. The Gen-Z voting bloc has grown substantially since the last presidential election, with approximately 41 million eligible voters in 2024, according to Tufts’ CIRCLE. TikTok, a platform popular among Gen-Z, is now awash with videos of Kamala Harris laughing, dancing, and making jokes.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.