Kamala Is Brat, Trump Is a Bro and Gen Z Is Watching

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have been campaigning towards young voters in the months leading up to the presidential election.

Former President Donald Trump smiling while giving a speech in Washington, D.C. Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

With the 2024 presidential election rapidly approaching, both of the major nominees, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, have ramped up their campaign tactics. 

Both candidates have decided to do so by appealing to Gen Z, which many have been describing as the defining generation of this election.

“Clearly, both of them are doing the best they can to reach to a segment of the voting population which is difficult to reach,” said Dr. Erik Moody, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Marist College.

Harris’ campaign has been characterized by its affiliation with British pop singer-songwriter Charli XCX, whose album “Brat” has spawned a cultural phenomenon over the past few months. “Brat” was released in June, appropriately describing this summer as “Brat summer.”

Trump has also been ramping up his campaign with appearances on many podcasts that appeal to younger voters, specifically younger white males. 

His appearances on Logan Paul’s podcast “Impaulsive” and comedian Theo Von’s podcast “This Past Weekend” have not only racked up millions of views, but also have started conversations on what this means for his campaign and future political candidates.

Vice President Kamala Harris giving a speech at a rally. Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

“To me, I think it’s stupid. It’s embarrassing, like these are people that are potentially going to lead our country, and they’re on the ‘Nelk Boys podcast’ and talking about ‘Brat summer,’” said Max Hochberg ‘25.

Regardless of whether people agree or disagree with both candidates’ tactics, many have argued that it is polarizing to be in the middle.

With Harris, many have described her sudden change of social media presence in favor of Charli XCX’s “Brat” album cover as a “rebrand.”

Her campaign, known as “Kamala HQ,” fully changed all of her accounts in the style of the “Brat” cover. This came after President Joe Biden announced he was stepping down, leading Charli XCX to post “kamala IS brat” on X.

Harris’ accounts on all of her social media pages have been posting memes and clips of the presidential candidate with “Brat” playing in the background, which many argue plays into her comedic side and appeals to young women who think she embodies the sentiment of “Brat.” 

Trump’s tactics to get in tune with the younger culture are mainly through YouTube, specifically through some of the most popular and influential creators on the platform, including Logan Paul, The Nelk Boys and Theo Von. 

Some question the reasoning behind this, wondering if he believes a majority of Gen Z women have already been swayed by Kamala and “Brat” and if he is trying to make sure that he has the Gen Z male demographic secured. This is due to the fact that Gen Z men are the main demographic for these podcasts.

Many have argued that it seems as though Trump’s “podcast tour” has been centered around opening himself up to the public, in an effort to come across as more vulnerable.

“Do I think either of them are into ‘Brat’ or like doing podcasts? No. But they are just trying to secure votes. I’m curious to see if this becomes a recurring thing in election years,” said Hochberg.

Because of Gen Z being a very Internet-intensive generation, Trump and Harris have decided to use that to their advantage when it comes to how they’ve been campaigning.

“There’s all this unharnessed potential, all these people you could convince to vote. Nowadays, with elections being so close, every possible voter needs to be paid attention to,” said Moody. “I think these people running for office have a lot to learn when it comes to campaigning, because they were young a long time ago.”