Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign is on a troll. Over the weekend, Kamala HQ posted a TikTok video highlighting Republican vice presidential pick JD Vance’s “aura”—or lack thereof.
The Harris campaign edited together a sort of greatest misses blooper reel featuring cringey moments from the Hillbilly Elegy author, including a classic fistbump/handshake fumble, reminders of his “never Trump” past and running mate Donald Trump’s own “never remembers J.D. Vance’s name” past, the infamous “childless cat lady” comment, and Vance’s uncomfortable laughter and insistence that being called “weird” by Democrats isn’t hurtful “at all.”
All the while, a running counter tracks Vance’s aura points going down, down, down. While the word “aura” has traditionally been used to refer to a person's nebulous vibe and the energy they give off, the extremely online have engineered the idea of a hazy “aura points” system in a sort of manifestation-meets-RPG ideology. You can even practice “auramaxxing,” incorporating different habits in service of leveling up.
It’s yet another nod from the Harris campaign to the Gen Z voters it hopes will elect the nation’s first female Brat president. In a summer TikTok trend, users track their “aura points” throughout the day. Left hanging for a high-five? Negative aura points. Getting an extra scoop of ice cream for no real reason? Big positive aura points. And according to the Harris campaign, Vance’s aura is at negative infinity. Yowza.
It’s another deft use of social media for the campaign, especially in contrast to Trump’s strategy using online platforms. Trump’s official TikTok account has posted eight videos total since joining the platform in June, most recently showcasing Trump being presented in Atlanta with a sparkling portrait of himself. The Harris campaign’s account has posted 299 videos since February, including those supporting President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign before the party shifted its hopes to Harris.
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