Ground Game: Courting influencers, third-party candidates, and noncitizen voting

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Plus, GOP network angling to boost third-party hopefuls to siphon votes from Harris, and a renewed focus on noncitizen voting{beacon}

By Meg Kinnard

September 02, 2024 08:28:01 AM

By Meg Kinnard

September 02, 2024 08:28:01 AM

  

Donald Trump’s campaign has fully embraced the bravado-filled, macho, often contrarian online spaces popular with a subset of younger men on livestreaming platforms like Twitch and Kick, as well as on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, which is in some ways an evolution of the strategy he used to boost his persona as a playboy, businessman and mogul.

Welcome to this week’s edition of AP Ground Game.

 

THE HEADLINES

Donald Trump dances with Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice during an event at the group's annual convention in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump courts conservative influencers

It is unclear how much the Trump campaign’s ventures into online media will boost his campaign. The same social media platforms are filled with content creators highly critical of the former president who go viral by the same algorithms as 23-year-old internet personality Adin Ross and other pro-Trump personalities.

The campaign now hopes to leverage Trump’s celebrity and bombast to garner attention online and in traditional media in ways that implicitly push his message to audiences who may not pay attention to political news. It views men under 50, including many Black and Hispanic men, as key demographics where Trump can make inroads.

Both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are competing for voters who increasingly get