In a bold and surprising political move, the Vice President’s campaign used the words against two former Presidents, Donald Trump and the tech billionaire Elon Musk on an X, previously called Twitter, livestream, which created a moment of sparking discussion across the internet.
The Livestream Event
This livestream happened on X, built into yet another one of the central platforms for modern political communications. It was billed as a campaign update, but it turned out to be way more interesting for the online audience since, instead of a regular policy speech and/or another call for funds, the Harris campaign took an entirely different course of action: it trolled Trump and Musk in ways that are rarely seen in modern political culture.
The Content of the Livestream
The livestream consisted of Trump and Musk making garbled and incoherent cuts of appearances that had been stitched together. Harris added no commentary to the footage and let it all speak for itself.
The clips were shown repeatedly, with Trump and Musk mouthing their words in the background. It was hilarious for some, but humblingly critical for two of the most powerful people in American public life and business.
The Trump and Musk Response
Sure enough, Trump and Musk could not turn a blind eye to the live stream. Trump, being one always to act fast to his outlets this time did the same through his social media outlet, Truth Social. His remarks described the live stream as “a desperate attack.” He then characterized Harris as “out of touch with the American people.” Musk, the CEO of X, on the other turned in his reactions with a subtler approach. He tweeted “Interesting strategy,” but left it at that.
The Reaction from the Public
The livestream had garnered mixed reactions from the public. To some, Harris was unusually bold. Some found it a rather refreshing change from the general humdrum that usually characterizes the cross-talk in politics. To fans of the Vice President, meanwhile, this was a sly, smooth move at revealing the flaws of Trump and Musk. They answered by saying it drew attention to those times when both men have been plagued by an inability to express themselves clearly.
However, not everyone was pleased by it. Critics labeled it petty and unprofessional of Harris. They reasoned that such a move will only deepen the divide in already polarized America. Some even wanted the Harris campaign to focus on issues that are more important than such a petty attack, which they said was “juvenile.”
Why Target Trump and Musk?
All such targeting of Trump and Musk raises questions regarding the campaign strategy of Harris. While Trump himself is really influential in American politics, such that it is difficult not to relate to his base, Musk is one of the most influential persons in the technology world. His X platform plays an important role in the shaping of discourse.
Harris’ campaign, in targeting these two figures against the invigorated backlash, may just be clearly trying to send a message to both Trump’s base and Elon Musk’s followers. Be a manner of trying to please those with a critical eye of Trump’s rhetoric and Musk’s influence on Twitter.
This is just another example of how political campaigns in the digital era are changing. With platforms like X appearing on the scene, it gives politicians another way in which they connect with voters. These allow for new manner and form of interaction in which the politicians can at times be directly engaged, contrary to the documentation barricade of the past.
In the old days, political campaigning came down to the common approaches found on TV, the radio, or in print. Now, with social media, campaigns can potentially reach millions of people in a snap. It gives them room to experiment around and for platforms like the Harris campaign’s livestream to capture the fancy of the public.
What’s Next?
Still to be determined is how this livestream event affected the campaign of Harris. Some view it as an assist in helping her reach the younger generation of voters who use social media. Others believe it will hurt her chances as it will further separate the voters who seek a more historic approach to our election process.
The conclusion here is that trolling Trump and Musk on a livestream is what post-automated, mass-communicative politics has come to. Whether it will be effective as a strategy is still up for debate, really. At least now, it really has started a conversation, and that is basically the first step in any political campaign.
