The Biden administration is reportedly reaching out to popular TikTok and other social media influencers to help court young voters as Democrats prepare for the upcoming reelection.
According to the New York Post, Axios reported that the administration is tapping influencers as part of its strategy to promote Biden’s record in the Oval Office.
“The digital strategy team for President Biden is connecting with hundreds of influencers across the country who would promote the 80-year-old’s record in the Oval Office to help draw in voters, ages 18 to 29, who don’t already follow the White House or the Democratic Party on various online platforms, Axios reported,” New York Post’s report reads.
The news also revealed that the move is being led by White House staffer Rob Flaherty.
Flaherty will lead four digital staffers in the White House. He was also labeled as the assistant to the president with the same rank as the communication director and press secretary.
“Reaching young voters is so critical to Biden that social media influencers – who are unpaid – could have their own briefing room inside the White House to work in-person or remotely, according to Axios,” New York Post added.
Amid the recent reports, 20-year-old TikToker Harry Sisson told the outlet that “we actually asked the White House, ‘When are we going to get press briefing passes.’ They were actually were very responsive to it.”
Sisson is a popular NYU student who has more than 663,000 followers on TikTok. He also delivers a brief report of the day’s biggest news events on the platform.
Moreover, the White House is also reportedly planning to connect with social media influencers who have local followings to help Biden every time he travels to a certain state.
“Ironically, the push comes the same time the White House has signaled its willingness to sign off on legislation that would ban TikTok or force its sale because of the platform owner’s ties to the Chinese government and fears it has access to the platform’s user data,” New York Post noted.
The news came almost 7 months after the White House tapped Daniel Mac, a famous TikToker with a massive following.
Mac is popularly known for asking drivers of nice cars what they do for a living. According to the reports, he was also tasked to ask President Biden the same question at the Detroit Auto Show.
“We’re trying to reach young people, but also moms who use different platforms to get information and climate activists and people whose main way of getting information is digital,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jen O’Malley said during an interview with Axios.
