President Biden’s supporters are stepping up their game by investing $10 million to counter the viral videos produced by the Trump campaign on social media. The top re-election super PAC for Biden, Future Forward USA Action, is concerned that Trump and his allies are dominating the viral video war. They believe that Biden’s image is being tarnished by videos showing him freezing or appearing old at public events.
The Democratic super PAC has received donations from prominent figures like Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and LinkedIn founder Reed Hoffman. Their goal is to help Biden’s campaign gain a better understanding of social media algorithms and work with pro-Biden influencers to create engaging content.
One Democratic source mentioned that the group is determined to tackle the issue of TikTok and is actively working towards a solution. Since joining TikTok in February, the Biden campaign has posted over 200 times and gained around 380,000 followers. In comparison, Trump joined TikTok just two weeks ago and has already amassed 6.4 million followers.
The Republican National Committee has been capitalizing on Biden’s age-related concerns by sharing videos of him appearing confused or freezing up at public events. Despite the White House dismissing these clips as “cheap fakes,” there is little evidence to support that claim.
The term “cheap fakes” has become the go-to defense for the White House in response to embarrassing videos of Biden circulating on social media. However, experts like Heritage Foundation tech researcher Jake Denton suggest that this defense tactic is a way to pressure social media platforms to remove such content.
Denton believes that labeling videos as “cheap fakes” is a strategic move to push for takedown requests based on misinformation related to the election. By creating a narrative that the videos are misleading, the White House hopes to compel social media companies to take action.
In essence, the battle for dominance on social media platforms like TikTok has intensified between the Biden and Trump campaigns. While Biden’s supporters are investing significant funds to level the playing field, the Trump campaign continues to leverage age-related concerns to gain an edge in the online sphere.
As the 2024 election approaches, it remains to be seen how social media will influence the outcome and whether strategies like labeling videos as “cheap fakes” will shape public perception of the candidates. The digital landscape is proving to be a critical battleground for political campaigns, and both sides are actively seeking ways to gain an advantage in this virtual arena.