CHICAGO (AP) — During the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, more than 200 online influencers, streamers and other social media personalities recorded and livestreamed their impressions of the proceedings.
Then there’s the 12-year-old nicknamed “Knowa,” who has been on the road with a host of prominent Democrats and has taken on Republican personalities like MyPillow founder Mike Lindell in the convention hall.
A veteran from rural North Carolina with more than 5 million TikTok followers has called himself a “Hillbilly for Harris.” Other influencers and social media personalities are sharing everything from the food available from trucks outside the United Center to attendees’ thoughts on bigger issues, like the war in Gaza.
The creators were invited to the DNC by convention organizers, a new but important part of a digital strategy aimed at leveraging creators’ significant followings on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Discord and Twitch, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ campaign officials said. They hope it will help Harris and running mate Tim Walz reach new voters who may not follow political news through traditional media.
The creators span a range of ages, backgrounds and content specialties, often reflecting the diversity of the audiences they serve. They are visible throughout the United Center, with phones on tripods and selfie sticks.
The DNC rolled out perks like “Creators for Kamala” lounges filled with food and drinks in addition to workspace. Inside the convention hall, there’s the first-ever Creator Platform, a slightly elevated space that gives creators a place to pose and post.
“It’s kind of surreal to be sitting here and being surrounded by so many politicians and people of political influence that I’ve looked up to for so long, and then being surrounded by other creators. It’s a testament to how the media landscape has changed and how much influence we have as creators,” said AustinShow, an American YouTuber and Twitch streamer with millions of followers across multiple platforms.
Russell Ellis, also known as “jolly_good_ginger” to his TikTok followers, also commented on the turn of events that led him to the convention floor.
“I’m a real hillbilly, a Hillbilly for Harris, in fact,” Ellis said. “In 2020, I got laid off and because I had nothing else to do, I made a TikTok video to rant. And you know what, 5 million people later, here I am.”
Some of the content that’s already been produced is more lighthearted than what happens when the thousands of Democratic delegates gather in Chicago, such as daily convention outfit checks. Other accounts, like UnderTheDeskNews, peel back the curtain on the convention process, sharing with followers information about delegate duties and what it’s like to be on the convention floor that they may have seen on TV.
Hasan Piker, who has 2.7 million followers on Twitch and has been outspoken about Israel and the war in Gaza — a major issue that divides Democrats — streamed his experiences in the DNC footprint, showed viewers around the food truck area and interviewed U.S. Rep. Greg Casar of Texas on Wednesday night, as convention speakers spoke behind them.
Former President Donald Trump and his GOP allies have also tried to reach online audiences, particularly men, through outreach and appearances with personalities on YouTube and other streaming platforms. Trump has done interviews with YouTuber and actor Jake Paul and streamer Adin Ross — who prompted Trump to dance with him, which quickly ended up on TikTok.
Still, Republicans have ridiculed Democrats’ embrace of influencers and questioned whether the DNC is paying people to post positive content.
Congressional spokesman Matt Hill denied that content creators at the DNC receive pay or special treatment.
“As part of our work to reach more Americans than ever before, we certify content creators the same way we certify media, and neither of us pays to cover our event,” Hill said.
In addition to the content they create and distribute through their own channels, influencers are also built into the programming itself, with appearances each night of the convention from creators like Carlos Eduardo Espina, a 25-year-old nonprofit executive, activist, and attorney with more than 10 million social media followers. From the stage Wednesday night, Espina spoke about his immigrant parents’ decision to come to the U.S. and advocated for Harris’ election, describing Trump’s policies on immigration issues as “blatantly anti-American.”
Jennifer Welch, co-host of the podcast “I’ve Had It,” is one of the digital influencers licensed to the DNC, along with co-host Angie Sullivan.
The women have been welcomed to major Democratic events in the past, and hosted Harris on their show in March. Welch said she finds it “refreshing for millennials and Gen Z to see white women with Southern accents” speaking up and advocating for equality.
Influencers have traditionally dominated the retail and marketing world, often working with brands to promote products to their audiences. A shifting preference for authenticity and niche online communities has led Americans to increasingly get their news from smaller but highly engaged communities rather than from big brands and personalities.
The presence of both at the DNC shows how much Harris’ campaign is trying to reach them in similar ways and motivate hard-to-reach voters who typically bypass traditional media.
“We live in a hybrid media reality where the voices of the unaccredited and non-mainstream press are very important,” said John Wihbey, associate professor of media innovation and technology at Northeastern University.
While the DNC’s decision to invite influencers could help bring the party’s message to a new audience of voters, Wihbey said it also carries risks because content creators are typically not held to the same standards as traditional media outlets.
But for a campaign that has made “joy” its overarching theme, opening the doors to content creators may be a risk worth taking.
Blair Imani Ali, a former progressive activist who turned to content creation when she was unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, said she found she could mobilize people around social justice themes. She explains how to vote and become a poll worker, and explores race, ethnicity and nationality in America.
“If we want to build a big tent in terms of solidarity and different values and beliefs, we also have to do that in terms of how people consume content, how people find their way into politics,” said Imani Ali.
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Hadero reported from South Bend, Indiana.
