A longtime aide to former President Joe Biden revealed a post she “vetoed” from his 2020 campaign’s social media account that one commentator described as “unbelievable.”
Why It Matters
Former Vice President Harris launched the rebrand of her 2024 campaign account “Kamala HQ,” which has millions of followers on X, as “Headquarters” on Thursday, as Democrats hope to engage young voters, a demographic that shifted toward Republicans in 2024, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The announcement sparked discussion about the best ways for Democrats to use social media to reach voters.
Notably, Harris is viewed as a likely 2028 presidential candidate after foregoing a gubernatorial run in California this year. Such an account may boost her profile over the coming years. It’s early, but polls currently show her as a top contender in the Democratic primary.
What To Know
The rebrand comes as Democrats continued to debate the best way forward following losses in 2024. Democrats have united in opposition to Trump, but disagreement over the most effective communications and tactics to win persists.
Stefanie Feldman, who has served in numerous campaign and official roles with Biden for more than a decade, raised questions about Democrats’ social media strategy in remarks posted to X. She asked how those leading the new Headquarters project would measure whether it is persuading and mobilizing voters.
“I’ve yet to see digi folks measure success beyond views/likes. I’ve even seen them hype a post as ‘effective’ bc it had a huge # of impressions, when that post was ratio’d with neg content,” she wrote.
She asked whether there is evidence that “s***posting” helps Democrats, adding that if there is, it’s something Democrats should embrace. She also shared a post she rejected from Biden’s 2020 campaign.
“Here’s my fav example of something the Biden 2020 digi team wanted to tweet out from the Biden campaign account. I vetoed it bc it is such an outrageously unserious reaction to a serious moment and not Biden brand. Lots of digi ppl were upset w me!” she wrote.
The post included a meme of a rabbit holding a sign that read “JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD.” Floyd was a 46-year-old Black man who died after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, pinned him to the ground with his knee for more than 9 minutes in Minneapolis in 2020. His death set off the Black Lives Matter protests that year and sparked calls for changes to policing.
The post was from 2020, and Feldman did not name the individual who suggested the post.
She told Newsweek she believes Democrats “needs to figure out better ways to measure whether social media is helping Democrats win.”
“I’ve seen some situations where the incentives for digital teams is just to rack up likes or impressions, and I think that spurs production of content like the piece I shared. I was asking whether anyone has figured out how to better measure the impact of digital work, because I certainly don’t know the practices of every single digital shop,” she said.
Feldman added that she is “hopeful there are smart digital strategies people working on the solution right now.”
“Maybe those people are even the people behind the new HQ account,” she said.
Feldman’s post was viewed 1.7 million times, drawing mixed reactions.
“This is the kind of thing that you’d imagine a white supremacist might post to ironically mock George Floyd’s tragic death. Truly unbelievable. Reflects well on @StefFeldman that she wisely vetoed it,” posted commentator Anthony LaMesa.
Social media consultant Rachel Karten wrote on X that there are “so many bad posts that end up on the cutting room floor when you work in social media” and said people “shouldn’t fear that your coworker is going to screenshot them.”
Journalist Heidi Moore defended the decision to make the post public.
“I see this very differently. It’s not attributed to any particular person and it is illustrative of her point. It was also many years ago. It’s absolutely fine to use case studies to make a point about business. Social media is a business function; it’s not a creative art. And in business, case studies are a common way to teach and learn,” she wrote.
What People Are Saying
Lauren Kapp, who ran former Vice President Kamala Harris’ TikTok account during the 2024 race, previously told Newsweek: “This specifically just shows the Vice President’s commitment to Gen. Z. This really is an investment into Gen. Z and people who are trying to reach young people. But this account is more than any one candidate or campaign.”
Democratic strategist Andrew Mamo responded to Feldman’s post: “Be normal. Be yourself. Be real. If you wouldn’t post it with your own two thumbs, don’t let your team do it!”
Democratic strategist Matt Royer responded to Harris’ announcement on X: “So in keeping with the same trend of Youth Engagement within Progressive and Democratic politics, we have made yet another Gen Z oriented organization that needs funding to work parallel to all of the other orgs that already exist and pull from the same funders? Be serious.”
What Happens Next
Democrats are hopeful their media efforts may bolster their chances in the midterms. Kalshi betting odds give Democrats a 78 percent chance of victory in the House of Representatives but a 36 percent chance of controlling the Senate.
Update 2/6/26, 1:22 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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