As tens of millions of Americans watched the debate between Republican Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on Tuesday night, a parallel battle unfolded on social media. From the outset, Democrats capitalized on Harris's stage entrance, capturing her handshake with Trump and her introduction, and sharing videos and photos. "Kamala said you’re gonna shake my hand dammit!" social media user Adam James Smith posted on X, garnering over 68,000 likes.
According to advisers, part of Vice-President Harris's debate strategy was to provoke Trump into statements that could go viral. The debate seemed to validate this approach. However, Trump's campaign and supporters swiftly claimed victory after the debate, asserting a win for the former president. Harris's varied facial expressions—sometimes bemused, sometimes alarmed, sometimes skeptical—as Trump repeated familiar falsehoods were quickly turned into memes. Trump's false claim about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating pet dogs and cats likely sparked the most reaction. "THEY'RE EATING THE DOGS" trended on X, fueled by thousands of posts, many questioning the relevance of the quote in a presidential debate.
As the debate concluded, Harris achieved a significant online victory. "Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight," Taylor Swift said on Tuesday to her over 280 million Instagram followers. "I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them." The post had over 4.3 million likes on Instagram within two hours of its posting.
Political strategists note that social media is playing a more significant role in this election cycle than in the past. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have enlisted content creators, or influencers, to disseminate information about their policies and candidates. "Social media both reflects and shapes public opinion," said Shannon McGregor, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Hussman School of Journalism and Media.
In terms of followers, Trump significantly outperforms Harris and her campaign. For instance, the Harris campaign's official Kamala HQ account has 1.3 million followers on X, compared to the Trump campaign's 2.4 million. However, the Harris campaign has garnered over 100 million likes on TikTok videos, versus Trump's 44 million.
Trump's campaign and supporters hailed his response to Harris's economic plan, labeling it simplistic and a replication of President Joe Biden's agenda. "Run, Spot, run," Trump said, referencing a popular children's book series. The term quickly trended on X. Harris's relentless attacks on abortion limits, Trump's fitness for office, and his legal troubles put him on the defensive. Yet, the Trump campaign and Trump himself swiftly declared victory on social media.
Both sides claimed victory after the debate. Trump supporters rallied behind him, while Harris supporters emphasized her strong performance. On TikTok, a Trump-supporting super PAC posted a series of victorious videos, including a clip from a CNN focus group where a Pennsylvania voter expressed preference for Trump's presidency.
