Kamala Harris campaign accused of social media manipulation to sway public opinion

An investigative report from The Federalist has revealed alleged tactics by Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign to manipulate social media platforms and amplify pro-Harris content in ways that may violate Terms of Service.

The report claims that the Harris-Walz campaign uses a Discord server to instruct volunteers in coordinated efforts, known as “astroturfing,” aimed at creating an artificial sense of support. Volunteers are reportedly directed to block and vote down Community Notes on X (formerly Twitter) when they critique or flag campaign content as misleading.

One specific example involves a Harris campaign tweet that allegedly took comments from Trump out of context, suggesting he called certain Americans “dangerous.”
 

According to The Federalist, Timothy Durigan of the Democratic National Committee directed campaign volunteers to downvote a Community Note that corrected this interpretation.

Discord messages from campaign staffers detail how the Harris-Walz campaign encourages followers to interfere with X’s Community Notes system, a feature designed to provide context for potentially misleading tweets. Campaign volunteers allegedly attempt to downvote accurate Community Notes pointing out misrepresentations or inaccuracies within Harris-Walz posts.

These tactics on X are part of an effort to suppress visibility of posts exposing misinformation. While X’s Community Notes system was designed to mitigate bias, campaign insiders have reportedly expressed frustration with the safeguards that prevent successful manipulation. Harris-Walz Discord messages also include a “Twitter (X) Community Notes Training” module, which instructs volunteers on how to gain the ability to write influential Community Notes with a higher status rating.

The Harris campaign’s strategies extend beyond X, targeting platforms like Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram. Using the Reach app, volunteers integrate pro-Harris memes, videos, and other content into their personal accounts, amplifying the campaign’s digital presence. On Reddit, the campaign is reportedly effective at manipulating the algorithm to promote favorable posts and sustain a pro-Harris narrative.

Although platforms like TikTok and Instagram are geared toward entertainment-driven content, they are also being targeted with campaign material, often criticized as inauthentic by those familiar with meme culture.

As these digital strategies gain traction, concerns continue to grow around the implications of such online manipulation on public discourse and the authenticity of content presented as grassroots support.