White House staff members will brief dozens of social media influencers on President Joe Biden’s remarks hours before his State of the Union address in an effort to help him spread his message.
More than 70 online creators and influencers will meet with the Biden administration to be informed on his message and to help amplify it to voters, according to Wired. Some influencers met with staff members on Wednesday, while others will attend briefs on Thursday before Biden’s speech at 9 p.m. The creators reach over 100 million voters. The inclusion of influencers in Biden’s plans for the State of the Union reflects the president’s efforts to reach younger voters.
“The event provided a valuable chance to meet the digital leaders who have been active on various platforms over the past four years,” Johnny Palmadessa, a Democratic influencer with a notable following on Threads, told Wired. “Meeting other activists, strategists, and influencers in person was inspiring.”
Palmadessa was also joined by political Instagram creator Emily Amick and fellow Democratic strategist Keith Edwards.
This is not the first time Biden has attempted to collaborate with social media creators to help spread his message. The White House has multiple staff members dedicated to networking with influencers. Biden joined TikTok after the Super Bowl, a decision that drew criticism due to the app’s connections to China.
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In 2021, the Biden administration recruited a group of TikTok influencers to encourage their viewers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Biden administration officials also hosted a Zoom meeting with a group of TikTok creators in 2022 to brief them on what was happening in Ukraine at the time. The meeting was billed as ensuring that users received accurate information on TikTok because it had become a popular platform for spreading real-time footage of the war in Ukraine. The White House also invited eight Generation Z influencers in October 2022 to get some face-to-face time with the president in Washington.