Ever since the unexpected dropout of President Joe Biden this July, the 2024 presidential election has turned into a desperate race as candidates take campaigning to the extremes, fighting to get ahead in polls. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are using unprofessional tactics to gain last-minute supporters and appeal particularly to the younger generations. With the help of celebrity endorsements, large social media platforms, widely streamed rallies and personal digs, candidates are enrapturing voters with memes, rather than properly informing them on policies.
Almost all TikTok users have come across Vice President Harris’s account called @KamalaHQ. By engaging in popular trends and audios on the app, Harris is aiming to specifically appeal to teens’ sense of humor and win their vote. For example, back when “Brat Summer” was dominating the internet, the account posted Harris to “360” by Charlie XCX, racking up millions of views and likes. Taking advantage of Chappell Roan’s recent rise in fame, the account also posted mashups of popular Harris moments with popular songs like “Femininomenon” and “HOT TO GO!” playing in the background. Despite how bizarre it is to see the vice president participating in the same trends as teenagers, the campaigning strategy is undoubtedly working on young viewers. As millions of voters are allured by the videos, they are failing to realize that supporting a candidate solely because they are “funny” or “trendy” is dangerous. Rather than properly informing the younger generations on Harris’s policies and values, her marketing team is taking advantage of their lack of political knowledge. As they pair a constant stream of this type of content, irrelevant to her agenda for her potential presidency, with anti-Trump rhetoric, Harris comes across as unprofessional.
Social media isn’t the only place Harris has been promoting herself in an unserious manner. At an Atlanta Georgia rally in late July, rapper Megan Thee Stallion kicked off the event singing the trending song, “Hot Girl.” The song and performance was inappropriate in every aspect, as it contained language, attire and dancing that were unfit and irrelevant to a formal political event. The spectacle was undeniably unnecessary. Stallion is known as an eccentric rapper, dancer and performer who has never been affiliated with politics, so having her sing was a strange and obvious appeal to certain demographics with the hope of gaining their support.
Not to mention, Harris recently appeared on Call Her Daddy, a podcast known for giving explicit relationship advice. Conversing with influencer Alex Cooper while thousands of Americans suffered devastation from Hurricane Helene was completely out of touch. The timing was simply distasteful and served as a huge slap in the face to citizens who were desperately begging for their country’s help.
Former President Trump gives Harris a run for her money on the unprofessional campaigning train. On June 13, 2024, Trump appeared on Logan Paul’s comedy podcast, Impaulsive. While they mainly focused on discussing serious political topics, the sole fact that Trump was on a podcast with such a controversial social media influencer devalues the conversations they had and makes everything appear unauthentic. After all, the main way that Paul has been able to maintain his media presence is by getting caught up in heated scandals. It is obvious that Trump is disregarding the allegations against Paul and using the podcast as a way to easily access Gen-Z audiences.
We all know that when it comes to unserious and immature language, Trump can’t help himself. At the presidential debate, Trump made a controversial comment about immigrants in Springfield, Ohio eating pets, and then proceeded to post at least five memes about it on his Instagram. Remarks like these, which have not been validated, are made far too often and are unprofessional for a potential president to be making. Even putting aside whether or not the comments are truthful, the language Trump uses turns voters away, as they feel as though they can’t support a person who, quite frankly, sounds crazy.
Whether speaking at a rally, posting on social media or arguing at a debate, Trump always makes sure to personally attack Harris. This wastes time and energy on conversations that are often irrelevant to the election. He hones in on nonsense like Harris’s race and the fluctuating dialects she uses infront of different audiences in an attempt to personally relate to them. When it comes down to choosing which candidate is more qualified to run the country, most Americans aren’t focusing on these minute details. To be such a large figure in politics as Trump is while acting this immature is unacceptable and unfair to citizens who consequently feel as though his erratic behavior makes him an unreliable choice.
While America is more divided than ever, we can all agree on one thing; we want a strong, level-headed president who has sincere intentions for this country. Right now, neither of these candidates are campaigning in a way that is promising for America’s future.
