Blue carpet rolled out for online influencers – could they swing the election for Kamala Harris?
Inside Chicago’s cavernous United Center, where the Democratic National Convention is being held, there is a cordoned off “creators lounge” and a blue carpet, where influencers can film videos.
They have been given prime seats inside the arena and some have even been invited to speak on stage, an honour usually reserved for luminaries of the Democratic Party.
For the first time, 200 influencers and content creators have been invited to attend the DNC and document the experience for their combined millions of followers.
It indicates that the Kamala Harris campaign team now values the reach they have as much as traditional media.
Heather Gardner has nearly 400,000 followers on TikTok and believes influencers are the future of political communication.
“There are millions of Gen Z voters who are voting for the very first time,” she says.
“And they are not getting their information from the New York Times. They are not getting their information from CNN Cable News or traditional news outlets. It’s on social media.”
Pic: Reuters
Peter McIndoe became famous by pushing a satirical conspiracy theory called “birds aren’t real” and now has thousands of followers on social media.
“People are on TikTok,” he says. “They’re in algorithmic pockets. We’re looking at targeting those algorithmic pockets, getting into groups that are swing voters.”
Harris’s own social media channels, Kamala HQ, are being operated by her social media strategy team, most of whom are in their mid-20s.
The convention is also being streamed in vertical for the first time to cater to an online audience.
Deja Foxx is a 24-year-old model and content creator who worked on Harris’s presidential primary campaign in 2019.
Influencer Deja Foxx at the Democratic National Convention Pic: AP
She spoke on stage, focussing her comments on abortion.
“Reproductive rights is the issue of this election,” she says.
“Particularly in some swing states like Arizona. It isn’t just about winning the electoral battle. When we see a combination of race and gender-based attacks, it’s about winning the narrative battle because little girls are listening to see what is possible.
“So content creators, like the ones you see here, have the opportunity to shape a generation’s political understanding in this election cycle.”
One of the criticisms of the Harris/Walz campaign is that it feels like it’s more sustained by style and soundbites than substance at the moment.
Brandy is an influencer from Atlanta
“I think we’re all on the same level when it comes to policy,” says Brandy, a 24-year-old influencer from Atlanta.
“It’s been like three weeks to a month now [since Harris became the nominee], like give my sis a break. She has time, right?
“But at the same time, I feel like the DNC stage is going to be the perfect opportunity to start laying things out. We saw the economic policy come through.
“I look forward to seeing more and more, particularly what she’s going to do when it comes to healthcare.”
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Many people, before they decide which way to vote, will want to know more about what Harris would do in power.
But the clout these influencers carry online could be key – especially when it comes to pulling young people from behind a screen and into the ballot box.
Elon Musk has said he is committed to remaining as Tesla’s chief executive for at least five years, as the electric carmaker faces pressure from consumers and the stock market over his work with Donald Trump’s government.
The world’s richest man said he will cut back on political spending after heavily backing the US president last year.
During a video appearance at the Qatar Economic Forum hosted by Bloomberg, a moderator asked: “Do you see yourself and are you committed to still being the chief executive of Tesla in five years’ time?”
Musk responded: “Yes.”
The moderator added: “No doubt about that at all?”
Musk chuckled and replied: “I can’t be still here if I’m dead.”
Tesla has borne the brunt of the outrage against Musk over his work with Mr Trump as part of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which implemented cuts across the US federal government.
Asked if the reaction made him think twice about his involvement in politics, Musk said: “I did what needed to be done.
“I’m not someone who has ever committed violence and yet massive violence was committed against my companies, massive violence was threatened against me.”
He added: “Don’t worry: We’re coming for you.”
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Musk pulls back from D.O.G.E. role
Musk spent at least 250 million dollars (£187m) supporting Mr Trump in the presidential campaign, and even held some of his own campaign rallies.
“I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” Mr Musk said. Asked why, he responded: “I think I’ve done enough.”
And he added: “Well, if I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I do not currently see a reason.”
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It comes after a Tesla pay package Musk was due, once valued at $56bn (£41.8bn) was stopped by a judge in Delaware.
Musk referred to chancellor Kathaleen St Jude McCormick as an “activist who is cosplaying a judge in a Halloween costume”.
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But he acknowledged his Tesla pay was part of his consideration about staying with Tesla, though he also wanted “sufficient voting control” so he “cannot be ousted by activist investors”.
“It’s not a money thing, it’s a reasonable control thing over the future of the company, especially if we’re building millions, potentially billions of humanoid robots,” he added.
Donald Trump has announced the concept for his Golden Dome missile defence system – which includes plans for the US put weapons in space for the first time.
The “cutting-edge missile defence system” will include “space-based sensors and interceptors”, Mr Trump said, adding the Golden Dome “should be fully operational by the end of my term”.
The system – styled on Israel’s Iron Dome – will be able to detect and stop missiles at all points of attack, from before launch to when they are descending towards a target, the Trump administration has said.
Making the announcement in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Mr Trump told reporters the Golden Dome will be “capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from the other side of the world”.
The US president also said Canada “has called us and they want to be part of it”. “As usual, we help Canada as best we can,” he said.
Trump was flanked by two Golden Dome posters. Pic: AP
He has also pledged that the entire system to be built within the United States. Manufacturers in Georgia, Alaska, Florida and Indiana will all be heavily involved in the project, Mr Trump said.
General Michael Guetlein, who currently serves as the vice chief of space operations, will oversee the Golden Dome’s progress.
The space weapons “represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations,” General Chance Saltzman, the head of the US Space Force, said at a hearing Tuesday.
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth joined the president for the announcement. Pic: AP
How much will the Golden Dome cost?
Mr Trump said he has allocated $25bn “to help get construction under way,” which he described as an initial down payment.
The total cost will be “about $175bn”, the US president added – but the Congressional Budget Office has put the price much higher.
The space-based components alone could cost as much as $542bn (£405bn) over the next 20 years, it estimated earlier this month.
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Mr Trump’s announcement came shortly after the newly confirmed US Air Force secretary said there’s currently no money allocated for the Golden Dome.
The programme is “still in the conceptual stage,” Troy Meink told senators today.
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The Pentagon has for years warned that the newest missiles developed by Russia and China are so advanced counter measures are needed.
Both Russia and China have already put offensive weapons, such as satellites capable of disabling those of other countries, in space.
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