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Republicans have established a network of influential individuals. In response, some Democrats are aiming to create a similar network to counter Turning Point USA and address their online shortcomings from the election.
Written by Shane Goldmacher and Ken Bensinger.
Zackory Kirk, a social media influencer from Atlanta known as The Zactivist, has amassed over 220,000 followers across Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms by consistently creating content that aligns with progressive values for over four years.
During the last phase of the 2024 election, Democrats started offering paid opportunities to help support Vice President Kamala Harris, other candidates, and causes like reproductive justice. Most of the money Mr. Kirk earned during this time, which wasn’t a substantial amount, came in the nine weeks leading up to Election Day, starting from Labor Day.
"Until the very end, I was essentially doing work for free," he stated.
And what happened after Ms. Harris was defeated?
"No response."
Currently, Democrats are dealing with a situation where they are not only reflecting on Vice President Kamala Harris’s defeat to President-elect Donald J. Trump, but also on how the left was surpassed online. Influencers are realizing that the financial support they received came too late and is now decreasing. Content creators who supported Harris are concerned about losing ground to their Republican counterparts, with each viral TikTok video making a difference.
Conversations with over twelve Democratic creators of online content show a widespread belief that Republicans have nurtured a well-coordinated and well-financed network of influencers, podcast hosts, and other online figures who effectively promoted and disseminated pro-Trump material. The content creators are pointing fingers at Democrats for their scattered and underfunded attempts to establish a presence in this realm, which they claim the party has neglected for at least ten years.
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