Kamala Harris has received an unexpected endorsement from British pop star Charlie XCX as she begins her presidential campaign for the 2024 election following Joe Biden’s withdrawal. The “Kamala Is Brat” meme has quickly gained popularity, with Harris emerging as the new Democratic frontrunner. But what exactly is the meme?
Here’s everything you need to know.
Kamala Is Brat meme explained
Following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race against Donald Trump and his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, pop star Charlie XCX shared a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), which reads “kamala IS brat.” The post, which references Charlie XCX’s sixth studio album, Brat, quickly went viral and has received millions of views in just a few hours, according to The Independent.
Charlie XCX describes “brat” as a concept representing someone with a carefree and rebellious spirit. As the pop star puts it, brat is someone who might have “a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra”.
By Monday morning, Harris’ campaign had revamped its online presence, featuring a lime green profile picture inspired by the Brat album cover. The Kamala HQ account on X also began to repost content and use language appealing to younger voters.
The #bratsummer trend, sparked by Charlie XCX, has garnered nearly one million posts on TikTok, according to BBC. The lime green theme soon became popular among individuals and businesses. Harris’s campaign tapping into this trend signifies a strategic move to connect with a younger audience. According to The Independent, recent polls indicate that Harris is outperforming Biden among critical demographic groups, including young people and people of color.
In addition to the “Kamala Is Brat” meme, the Harris campaign and its supporters have cleverly transformed some of the Vice President’s viral moments into popular and relatable symbols for younger voters. These include playful references to coconuts and Venn diagrams.
