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The Republican National Convention plans to host more than 70 influencers as part of a content creator program to help the party make inroads with younger voters, who historically tend to vote for Democrats.

The content creators will have full convention credentials and will be given access to Trump campaign officials, delegates and other Republicans attending the event in Milwaukee, where next week the GOP will formally nominate former president Donald Trump as their candidate. They also will have a creator workspace where they can film TikTok videos and other social content, according to Brilyn Hollyhand, 18, the chair of the RNC Youth Advisory Council who spearheaded the effort.

We have the first convention. We want to make sure that the youth vote has a presence, said Hollyhand. Republicans are also planning a gathering of the leaders of young-voter conservative groups during the convention to coordinate efforts to elect Trump for a second term, Hollyhand said.

As president, Trump in 2020 issued an executive order to ban TikTok if its Chinese parent company did not sell it within 45 days, but the order was later blocked in court. He has since changed positions and said that he would not ban the app if elected again. Trump joined the platform in June, quickly amassing more than 7 million followers.

The participating creators run a mix of political and nonpolitical accounts, according to a person familiar with the guest list who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal plans. They include Keith and Kevin Hodge, conservative comedians known as the Hodgetwins; Mikel Simmons from Bravos Southern Hospitality; model and pistol shooter Jamie Villamor; YouTube gaming account Geeks + Gamers; and social media personality Emily Austin.

Young voters ages 18 to 29 were key to Joe Bidens win in 2020, backing him over Trump by a 25-point margin. But enthusiasm among the group has waned significantly since four years ago. Around a third of adults ages 18 to 29 say they regularly get news on TikTok, according to Pew Research Center.

The Democratic National Convention Committee announced similar plans last month. The DNCC for the first time will credential content creators to provide influencers the same level of access and information that traditional media outlets receive at the convention. Those approved will get assistance connecting with surrogates and VIP attendees and entry to a creator correspondent studio space.

Between January 2023 and the end of April 2024, there were roughly twice as many pro-Trump posts as pro-Biden posts on TikTok, according to a TikTok official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal metrics.

The RNC partnered with influencers at the primary debate in Milwaukee last summer, inviting 16 influencers for a behind-the-scenes tour and meetings with then-candidates Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-N.D.), both of whom are now in the running to serve as Trumps vice president. Hollyhand said he pitched the influencer idea for the convention to RNC Chairman Michael Whatley and Lara Trump, the co-chair, in January, and that they first met with creators about the idea in February.

Drew Harwell contributed to this report.

Read more from the original source:
Republican convention to host influencers in pitch to younger voters - The Washington Post