Presidential Campaigns Are Changing Their TikTok Strategies
The New York Times
Kamala Harris, Tim Walz and Donald J. Trump are turning to niche TikTok creators for friendly spaces to humanize themselves and reach young voters.
Kareem Rahma wasn’t surprised when Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign reached out about getting Ms. Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, on his TikTok show.
Flattered, yes, but not surprised.
“As the entire world’s attention has shifted to video content, particularly short-form vertical entertainment, it would make a lot of sense for those campaigns to want to reach as many people as possible,” he said. “It’s also a lot cheaper than TV.”
Mr. Rahma, 38, is the host of “Subway Takes,” a minute-long talk show conducted on the New York City subway. Clutching a MetroCard attached to a tiny microphone, Mr. Rahma invites guests to share a strongly held (but usually pretty low-stakes) opinion. Past guests have included the actor Olivia Wilde and the musician Charli XCX.
“So what’s your take?” Mr. Rahma asks at the beginning of each episode.
For Mr. Walz this week, the take was about gutters.
