In the effort to court younger voters and affect political messaging, reports indicate that Democrats are “deploying a fleet of influencers” on social media.
According to a CBS News report, “Democratic organizations are flooding the creator community with cash and providing behind-the-scenes access” to win over voters and spread negative messages about the opposition.
One 23-year-old social media influencer named Awa Sanneh was highlighted as one of many who were hired to make anti-Trump videos and post pro-Democratic talking points.
Democrat dark money groups — funded by anonymous donors — are paying “influencers” $10,000+ to generate artificial support for the Harris-Walz campaign pic.twitter.com/3qyDQRsPhZ
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 7, 2024
“They started inviting me to their White House briefings on abortion rights, reproductive rights,” said Sanneh who was one of a group of influencers invited to the White House to watch the State of the Union address and meet President Biden.
Rob Flaherty, who runs digital strategy for Vice President Kamala Harris’s new presidential campaign, said “We just have to be working with them. And if we’re not, we’re missing a huge way that voters are getting information about the world.”
‘We give them talking points, resources, base language, you know, graphics that they could repurpose or lift,” he said.
Uh, hello pic.twitter.com/vAI7RUhTR5
— Nick (@NickSr79) August 7, 2024
While the campaign reportedly does not pay the influencers directly, CBS News noted that they “found a constellation of other Democratic political organizations that do.”
“Sanneh said she was hired last month by Protect Our Care, a progressive advocacy group that relies on anonymous donors. She made a video warning about Trump’s second term agenda that she says the group helped her script,” the outlet reported.
Michael Doherty, a gay OnlyFans social media influencer is blowing the whistle on the Harris campaign for offering to pay him to publically support her on social media.
According to the New
York Post marketing firm Palette MGMT, on behalf of Future Forward — the largest…— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) August 5, 2024
“A video just for a creator in my size, an average can go from $3,000 to $10,000 and upwards,” Sanneh said, adding that she and other influencers have been invited to attend this month’s Democratic National Convention.
“They just told us that if we wanted to put on our own show that they would give us all the resources to do that,” Sanneh said.
Social media reaction was swift and brutal.
If reading propaganda as if it was your own message isn’t a campaign violation, than the laws need to change.
— Matthew Brown (@Matthew95050234) August 7, 2024
It’s basically a new way for the Dems to buy advertising. Don’t know if it is legal or illegal but it is what they are doing. They don’t care if it is legal or illegal as long as it works.
It was illegal for them to ban and restrict Trump and his backers on social media in…
— MtDewHigh (@JohnDoe71397417) August 5, 2024
Is that legal?
— ana mcnally (@aimcnally1956) August 5, 2024
Why aren’t the Republicans doing this? Where are the GOP Harry Sissons? Yes they’re cringe but they get reach and views.
— Rudolph Troha 🇺🇲🏳️🌈 (@RudolphTroha) August 7, 2024
Why don’t dark money groups pay me? I’m seriously getting my feelings hurt.
— @amuse (@amuse) August 7, 2024
Remember most leftists have to get paid somehow for their activism. Many are unemployable.
— Marion County Republicans (@marioncogop) August 5, 2024
It’s a new generation that has no opinion of their own, but will integrate yours for a nominal fee. Their entire existence is to parrot the talking points of another because they do not have the mental capacity or acuity to define themselves in society. sad generation of youth.
— JoeWilfing (@JoeWilfing) August 7, 2024
The saddest part of the whole spiel are the thousands of minds full of mush that are actually “influenced” by this garbage.
— wrjindustrial (@wrjahnjr) August 8, 2024
