Dem, GOP influencers target young voters

Democratic and Republican influencers may prove key to the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.

The Washington Examiner reports that former President Donald Trump's son, Barron Trump, and Barron's friend, Bo Loudon, "have been busy briefing the 78-year-old former president behind the scenes on a new landscape of influencers and TikTok, YouTube, and other social media stars who have millions of followers and sway with voters."

Barron Trump and Loudon are reportedly serving as the Trump campaign's "de facto social media outreach team."

"It was Barron Trump and Loudon who lined up the former president’s interview with Kick influencer Adin Ross," the Examiner reported. The interview was seen live by half-a-million viewers. A boastful Trump claimed 100 million people listened to the interview.

Donald Trump had his much heralded interview on X Monday with Elon Musk, who owns X, formerly Twitter. The Republican National Committee said that 24.1 million people watched it, and a Trump campaign newsletter said that “in less than a day, over a billion people ‘tuned in’ to hear President Trump speak. President Trump’s post alone has generated over 200 million views and over 630,000 likes, while X app downloads reached an all-time high.”

Democrats are taking note, with Priorities USA, a large liberal super PAC, "reshap[ing] itself almost entirely as a digital political strategy operation."

Executive Director Danielle Butterfield said the super PAC's mission is to offer "an authentic message" that resonates with "their audience."

Priorities USA and the independent Latino civic and voter organization Somos Votantes "launched a new campaign featuring four YouTube influencers sending political and get-out-the-vote messages."

One video featured YouTuber Daniela Legarda preparing "a traditional Latin American recipe while discussing abortion rights."