A New York Times piece published in recent days describes how the White House is wooing social media influencers more aggressively than ever, despite the fact that the president has already bowed out of the 2024 presidential election.
‘As soon as President Biden walked into the Indian Treaty Room across the street from the White House on Wednesday, the smartphones flew up. Dozens of social media influencers and people who work with them stood almost in unison to capture the moment,” the report begins, adding that the president then turned his back and took out his own cell phone to begin taking selfies with the guests.
Because that wasn’t staged, was it? We’re going to assume that a team of 20-something-year-olds came up with that idea.
President Biden then reportedly gave a short speech about how social media content creators represent the future of communication. Not the scientists, engineers, and tech specialists. The content creators…
Biden also praised his guests for having destroyed the newspaper industry, noting how his grandchildren don’t read newspapers like he does, opting instead to watch influencers on TikTok and other social media platforms.
God help us…
So why were they there? The president was taking part in a conference focused on what’s known as the “creator economy.” The event is part of how the Biden administration (or what’s left of it) is trying to court social media influencers to speak to Americans on their behalf. It could be good for Joe Biden’s legacy, or it might even be good for the Democrats – including Vice President Kamala Harris – overall. While the president and his vice president are rumored to have a strained relationship in the wake of the recent presidential coup (because that’s really what it was), the two parties have a shared interest in defeating former President Donald Trump come this November.
As November gets closer, the two parties are likely to continue their efforts to win over younger voters using social media platforms. Former President Trump is even leaning into it, having recently appeared online with Adin Ross, a social media influencer in his early 20s. Trump has even started to appear in TikTok videos of his own, including one in which he laments the rising cost of bread and cookies.
If Trump is on TikTok now…this campaign might just get very different very quickly.
