The Influencers Stanning Kamala — And Infuriating the Press Along the Way

CHICAGO — It’s just behind a black curtain, but it seems like it’s going to be another world.

On the ground floor of the United Center, amid throngs of delegates and press pushing past one another to get to the floor or to meetings or events around the Democratic National Convention grounds, there’s a small area guarded by a DNC staffer that’s clearly demarcated as separate from the other proceedings: The “Creator Lounge.”

It’s reserved for the 200 some influencers who were credentialed by the DNC to cover the event and — in large part — to stump for Vice President Kamala Harris or warn their followers about the dangers of former President Donald Trump. Journalists and delegates, crowding the halls, have been peering through cracks in the curtain at what they imagine is a glamorous, exclusive space only available to people with a track record of going viral on social media.

Naturally, I had to find my way in.

Accompanied by two members of the creator program I was interviewing, I entered the influencer zone on Wednesday. As the curtain peeled away, it was hard not to feel a tinge of disappointment. There was an open bar and some free food, but it otherwise looked like a swiftly built brewpub that caters to patrons who get a little too into Trivia Tuesdays. There were string lights, half drunk Starry and Pepsi on the bar, people sitting or standing and chatting mostly quietly amongst themselves.

The creator-only spaces inside the convention hall (there’s also a “blue carpet,” where creators have done interviews), despite the decidedly drab appearance, have still caused consternation among some journalists who feel disrespected by the convention’s VIP treatment of influencers, who they view as acting more as cheerleaders for the Democrats. The 15,000 credentialed journalists have a variety of accommodations, largely based on the perceived prestige of their outlet and themselves; there’s a large media tent outside the stadium (also replete with curtained-off areas for different publications), and inside, some have access to space on the floor. But most are crammed into the nosebleeds and don’t have the same access as the influencers.

This is the first year that either convention has credentialed creators; the Republican convention had about 70. And though they’re small in number, the creators who have descended on Chicago for the week have made their mark — it’s impossible to walk through the hall without seeing one of them filming videos, hyping up the crowd or pausing for selfies.

The credentialed influencers fall into different buckets — some invited by the Harris campaign themselves, some invited by the Democratic Party and some associated with Way to Win, a progressive advocacy organization. And though they’re all broadly on the left, their politics are far from identical. Hanging around the creator lounge was Harry Sisson , a young Democrat who was at the forefront of online wars insisting that President Joe Biden should refuse to drop out. In the same room was Chi Ossé , a young, left-wing New York City councilman who turned down an invite to serve as a delegate for Biden because of his disappointment with the president this summer, but decided to participate in the creator program after Harris ascended to the top of the ticket.

The influencers have largely been turned loose, with few instructions other than “be yourself.” Many of them don’t have traditional backgrounds in politics and are instead comedians or fashion influencers. Ossé said that earlier this week he ran into a spiffy 12-year-old stumping for Harris (who later got in a fight with Mike Lindell of Trump/MyPillow fame).

According to Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, a co-founder of Way to Win, the invited influencers fall into three categories. First is the creators with backgrounds in politics, “the next media stars.” Next, a group of influencers with little direct connection to politics, who could carry a pro-Harris message to their followers who might be unfamiliar with campaign content in their social media feeds. And finally, more “micro-creators,” people with follower counts in the tens of thousands instead of millions, but who are nevertheless well placed in swing states and can reach important voters.

Throughout the week, in dedicated suites in the rafters of the United Center only accessible by elevator, Way to Win has run livestreams and other video content, often hosted by V Sphear, who goes by underthedesknews on TikTok and has over three million followers. Sphear’s Wednesday livestream combined comedians like Tanner Devore (who goes by tannertan36 on social media ; 956,000 TikTok followers) with politicians like U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai (who goes by Katherine Tai; no discernible TikTok presence).

Devore thinks that the Harris campaign is reaping the benefits. “As content creators our whole thing is spontaneity and trusting your gut — campaign [literature or advertisements] feel like baggage almost.”

The creators are happily partisan. On their livestream, Sphear noted that “it’s being in on the joke vs. being the joke,” when it comes to the Harris campaign vs. the Trump campaign, and Devore agreed, laughing that “you can feel ‘weird’ in your gut — it’s like an IBS reaction.”

Annie Wu Henry , a digital and political strategist who ran Sen. John Fetterman’s TikTok in his 2022 campaign (before disavowing Fetterman earlier this year largely over his stance on Israel) and is now working with Way to Win, says that this sort of campaigning is obviously the future. “As this space continues to grow and it becomes more and more embedded into our lives whether we like it or not, all of our politicians are going to have to embrace meeting people in these spaces,” she said.

According to Ossé, it’s about throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks. “I don't think a campaign that's solely online is going to win. I don't think a campaign that is maybe solely knocking doors or doing TV ads is going to win. I think a campaign that is reaching voters in every place that voters can be reached is a smart campaign.”

Still, traditional journalists have gotten increasingly frustrated about the blurred lines between journalism, influencers and the campaign. “When you're getting a TikTok from an influencer about what's happening at the DNC, that is not objective, that is a subjective person, putting on a very specific spin,” said Grace Segers, a staff writer who covers Congress and politics at The New Republic . “And you can argue that the media has its own spin, but journalists care about fact-checking. We care about making sure that something is accurate. And you can't say the same about most quote, unquote content creators.”

Influencers at the DNC are also snapping back at journalists frustrated with the situation.

“The [press’] obsolete asses are being replaced and they hate it … The difference between us and you is that y’all are lazy and sensationalist,” Brian Baez, an influencer who goes by @MentallyDivine, posted on TikTok and X . “You report on information and spin it to rile up groups of people in hopes to get clicks and views. We combat misinformation and raise awareness … clearly it’s more effective cause we got your motherfucking seats … and fucking good, more of your seats should be gutted until you get with the fucking program.”

As they say online, the girls are fighting .

There’s certainly a distinction between how journalists and influencers think about their roles — and mashing them together at the DNC has caused real hard feelings. The influencers vs. press squabble is in some ways just the latest evolution in a longstanding fight; all the way back at the 2004 Democratic convention, The New York Times reported on complaints that bloggers were getting press credentials. Twenty years later, Ezra Klein, one of the early stars of the blog era, is now being feted by traditional press as the most influential journalist of the cycle.

How influencers forcefully and directly share their personality while commenting on politics is somewhat new, though. It has consumers engaged enough that the Harris campaign, the DNC and associated groups are pouring time, money and energy into making sure that they have all the resources necessary to build out pro-Democratic content with a spin.

At the conclusion of a livestream on Wednesday, that engaging, sometimes strange blend was on display.

“Also remember to stream ‘Diet Pepsi’ by Addison Rae,” Ossé said to the audience with a wink and a laugh. “Also remember to vote,” Sphear piped up.