Don’t blame President Joe Biden for rigging the Super Bowl; blame his evil, laser-eyed twin, better known as “Dark Brandon.”
Facing re-election this year and attempting to build rapport with young voters, the Biden campaign spent the weekend generating buzz on social media as Biden launched his first TikTok.
Dark Brandon originated from a 2021 conservative slogan “Let’s Go Brandon,” which was aimed to insult the president. In 2022, Biden’s social media team, and active followers revised the slogan into an attempt to make Brandon a superhero phenomenon.
Biden posted a photo on Instagram and X late Sunday evening after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, mocking the right-wing conspiracies regarding the NFL and Taylor Swift endorsement. He captioned the post, “Just like we drew it up.”
Over the weekend, Biden and his counterpart “Dark Brandon” generated significant social media attention on various platforms. Biden-Harris HQ, operated by the Biden political campaign, uploaded its first TikTok video just two hours before posting on Instagram. The video featured the president answering football-themed questions. Biden’s 30-second video garnered almost 6.3 million views on Monday afternoon, with almost 600,000 likes.
When asked if he was responsible for deviously plotting the Chief’s victory during the video, he answered, “I’d get in trouble if I told you.”
“It was the first video on my For You Page,” freshman mathematics major Zain Alam said. “I get it he is trying to appeal to Gen Z, and honestly, TikTok is probably the best place to do it.”
Biden’s campaign team has faced heightened scrutiny over joining the Chinese-based ownership app. Last year, the White House gave federal agencies 30 days to wipe the app off of all government devices, and 34 states are prohibited from using the app on government devices. But the app is also immensely accessible for Generation Z, and TikTok news consumption is rising.
“You have never seen a president on TikTok before,” said freshman economics major Ari Cohen. “It was kind of funny, too.”
While some find the Biden-Harris HQ content laughable, others, like communications sophomore Camryn Herman, find it “cringe.”
“He is trying too hard, and it’s obvious that someone his age can’t relate to people our age,” Herman said.
The president’s campaign has targeted viewers who do not get their news from traditional outlets. The man behind the camera and Biden’s deputy campaign manager, Rob Flaherty, told the New York Times that “[it] is proof positive of both our commitment and success in finding new, innovative ways to reach voters.”
As to whether the Biden plan will work, this election is divided by USC students.
“I don’t know if it will hurt or help,” Zain said, “But it is pretty obvious that it’s everywhere. And this is just the beginning.”