Trump and Harris’ meme-driven campaigns hold dangers for voters & they risk losing support if they push jokes themselves

PRESIDENTIAL campaigns employ a variety of methods to get their messages across to voters – and social media memes are becoming an increasingly effective tool to push political agendas.

Even before Kamala Harris announced her presidential candidacy for the 2024 election, social media was flooded with videos, comedic images, and musical remixes of the vice president's infamous "coconut tree" speech.

And since President Joe Biden announced he wouldn't be running for a second term last month, pro-Kamala memes have proliferated on social media platforms such as TikTok, X, and Instagram among liberal Millennial and Gen Z voters.

Harris' team appeared to lean quickly into the digital fanfare by overhauling her campaign's KamalaHQ X account with references to trending memes.

KamalaHQ adopted the lime green branding of Charlie XCX's hit album, Brat, in its cover photo after the British pop star endorsed Harris in a tweet, declaring, "Kamala IS Brat."

The page also updated its bio to read “providing context” in a loose reference to the viral “coconut tree” meme, which stems from a speech she gave at the White House last year.

In the clip, Harris is seen laughing as she recounts how her mother told her as a child, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”

However, the VP and her team have carefully avoided any explicit references to coconut trees, something some on social media have expressed disappointment with.

But Dr. Mia Moody-Ramirez, Department Chair & Professor of American Studies at Baylor University, told The U.S. Sun that Harris' campaign strategy may be the more effective and prudent choice.

"Harris’ team claims to be distancing themselves from the memesphere, but her followers share memes [...] It is a good idea to leave meme creation up to voters. It needs to be organic," said Moody-Ramirez.

The coconut tree meme has developed into a sort of rallying cry and symbol of support of Harris, with young Democrats including coconut and palm tree emojis in their display names and bios to create a symbol of community.

Harris explicitly acknowledging or even adopting the meme herself could halt the momentum gathered so far, Moody-Ramirez warned, making the meme no longer feel organic.

"They have left it alone because it is a positive message that speaks for itself. Republicans tried to make it negative, but it has been revived this year, and people have taken it to mean don’t forget your roots, respect your elders, and stay tethered to your culture," she said.

"This is a positive message. Harris and her team are leaving the meme-making up to their voters to make sure it is grassroots and authentic."

MEME WARS

Harris' willingness to embrace memes will not only likely help to mobilize younger voters but also help to establish and maintain a strong brand identity, Moody-Ramirez says.

Former President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan helped propel him to the White House in 2016 and has continued to maintain an established foothold in American culture ever since.

Harris' pandering to young voters and the gradual development of her own recognizable brand could have a similarly positive result at the polls in November, Moody-Ramirez believes.

That's because often, as voters, we align with politicians based not only on who we like but also on who we think likes or understands us.

Harris' adoption of the #BratSummer viral trend is a key example of how her campaign is attempting to capitalize on the memes of the moment to bridge the generational gap and seek to present her as the "cooler" option of the two candidates.