Donald Trump and Kamala Harris: The TikTok Battle in 2024 Politics

TikTok's Role in 2024 Politics

TikTok’s influence has become undeniable in the 2024 presidential election, with both camps leaning full force into the idea that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. But that plan hasn’t worked out so well for Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Anti-Trump Sentiment Dominates

An exclusive Newsweek review of TikTok data reveals that, on TikTok, the Trump campaign is being drowned out by a wave of anti-Trump content. Over the past two months, more than 15,300 anti-Trump videos have racked up 2.6 billion views, far outpacing the 12,500 posts critical of Vice President Kamala Harris, which amassed less than half the amount of views.

Engagement Metrics

• Anti-Trump content: 270 million likes, shares, and comments
• Anti-Harris videos: 102 million engagements

Shift in News Consumption

According to a Pew Research Center study published last month, 40% of young adults under the age of 30 regularly get their news from TikTok, up from just 9% in 2020. While the Harris campaign went all-in on TikTok early to try to win over the growing number of young people who get their news from the short-form video-sharing app, the Trump campaign was left in their dust and has been playing catch-up ever since.

Despite its so far grim showing, the Trump campaign maintains an optimistic view.