Donald Trump is beating Kamala Harris on TikTok as both candidates compete for young voters

In a modern twist on political campaigning, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have ramped up their TikTok presence, aiming to connect with young voters through the platform. 

Since launching their accounts this summer, Trump’s following has surged to 12.5 million compared to Harris’s 6.2 million. 

Videos under Trump’s hashtag have also doubled Harris’s, with 1.6 million posts, while the Vice President trails at around 750,000.

Trump’s playful online presence shows him engaging with Gen Z influencers, from wrestling star Logan Paul to streamer Adin Ross, capturing meme culture and sharing clips of his rallies, catchphrases, and behind-the-scenes moments, including inside his private plane.

“You know, I’m on TikTok now,” Trump told Joe Rogan during a recent podcast. “And I’ve done really well… Have you seen the numbers? I’ve had like billions, like billions of hits. It’s crazy.”

In contrast, Harris’s TikTok account has focused on curated campaign footage and formal appearances, including a recent clip from her “Call Her Daddy” podcast interview.

Although she launched with a viral “Kamala is brat” meme, her content since has been less interactive, with structured campaign stops taking center stage. 

Even her recent appearance on "Call Her Daddy" has garnered 700,000 YouTube views, far less than Trump’s recent Rogan interview, which topped 30 million views.

The former president appears to be enjoying his popularity on TikTok, reportedly taking advice from his 18-year-old son, Barron, on popular influencers. TikTok posts of his recent events, along with clips of him with social media personalities, highlight his reach. According to polling by NBC, Harris still maintains higher support among younger voters, but Trump’s appeal with young men has been growing.

Trump’s embrace of TikTok is especially ironic given his 2020 executive order to ban the app and Harris’s own acknowledgment of “national security concerns about the owner of TikTok.” Nevertheless, TikTok’s massive reach among young adults, with 4 in 10 now using it as a news source, is hard to ignore.

For Trump, TikTok may serve as a direct line to younger voters who may not follow mainstream news outlets. 

Syracuse student Daniel Idfresne, 20, remarked that his friends often see Trump clips on their TikTok feeds, even if they don’t follow politics. 

“I think the Trump campaign has been really successful in reaching out to young men, whether they’re politically in tune or not,” he said. As Election Day approaches, the impact of TikTok could play a critical role in shaping both candidates' support among young voters.