TikTok Debates: Are Politicians Paying Influencers to Come Out with Endorsements?

In one of my posts, I briefly mentioned how influencer Tana Mongeau told her podcast listeners that an undisclosed political candidate's team offered her a large sum of money to support them openly. Speculation was that this undisclosed politician was Donald Trump, given that this was the wake of Bryce Hall and other fellow influencers backing the former president's campaign. Recently, another influencer, Madeline Pendleton, a self-identifying leftist, has stated that the "Democrats" offered her $15,000 to speak positively about their party. Pendleton came out with this offer to warn audiences that much support other influencers have been spouting were undisclosed political ads. Reactions to her video were very mixed. Many of her comments were positive, but many comments and reaction videos pointed out discrepancies and flaws in her argument. Creator Marie Soledad called out a commentator who accused her pro-Harris content of being disingenuous by citing Pendleton's claims. In Soledad's reaction, she denied those claims, asserting that perpetuating the claim that all pro-Harris content is fake is dangerous, especially as much of the hate is being perpetrated against women of color. Another creator, Hannah Reid, also calls Pendleton for not doing anything to improve the political system by excluding people who disagree with them from their conversations.  

There has not been any national media coverage of this ordeal, but the issue has reached thousands of TikTok users who are unsure what to make of Pendleton's claim. It poses the crucial question: Is TikTok becoming a space to spread political propaganda? While it would be logical for politicians to use the social media platform to advance their message, given the power the youth vote has to sway elections, Pendleton offered no substantial proof that her claims were truthful. Whatever the truth may be, media literacy has become more important than ever as citizens have to sift through a vast mediascape to find credible coverage and worthwhile, genuine voices. Political conversations are great exercises of civic involvement, but when they lead to personal attacks or lack room for growth, they are not constructive and worthwhile. Any political endorsements should not be financially coerced. Rather, they should be motivated by positive actions and messages. 

References: 

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/national-voter-registration-day-mobilizes-celebrity-action/story?id=113758589

https://www.tiktok.com/@madeline_pendleton/video/7423601324337548586?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.tiktok.com/@itsmariesoledad/video/7424634324164660523?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.tiktok.com/@hannah.is.over.this/video/7424872026940149035?lang=en