The Battle for the New Media Megaphone

When Democrats try to compete in New Media from the deep pockets of their liberal donor base, the effect is cringe. Their latest attempt is no exception.

Last week, the thumbs of @KamalaHQ on X and TikTok announced a reboot and rebrand to “@Headquarters,” a Gen Z progressive media hub launched in 2024 and housed under the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way.

Brat summer was over two years ago – why reboot the Kamala HQ account now?

The Democrats are competing scared and launching this effort from behind. This goes to show you can’t win election battles with a seasonal social media surge. In order to win, campaigns need to embrace strategic digital infrastructure, not chase viral trends.

The rebrand of KamalaHQ isn’t a simple name change. It’s a signal that the new media strategy on the right works with voters. @TeamTrump, @TrumpWarRoom, and others continue to dominate earned media conversations through social media, but they also have the permanent media infrastructure that continues post-election day. Something that the left only wishes they had.

Last year alone, @TeamTrump and @TrumpWarRoom earned 5 billion impressions across X, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Truth Social. To put it in perspective, these accounts reached the number of people it would take to fill Lambeau Field over 61,000 times.

Outside of the official channels, the New Media Megaphone on the right is more robust, more established, and more personality-driven. Pew Research shows that on X, nearly half of all political influencer posts come from the right, while the left struggles to maintain even a 30% share of voice.

The amplification gap between Democrats and Republicans is widened by the audience size of major new media personalities ranging from Ben Shapiro to Megyn Kelly, alongside content creators like the Nelk Boys, Adin Ross, and Theo Von. Add in prolific posting by Trump officials and family members, and the organic amplification becomes difficult to rival through centralized channels alone.

As a veteran of both the RNC and tech companies, I’ve seen this infrastructure from both sides.

We don’t need a failed presidential candidate /“Chair Emerita” to tell us what’s trending: We have a network of creators, media personalities, and administration officials, including the president himself, who will continue to shape hearts and minds online.

Still, Republican senators, members of Congress, and other elected officials cannot rely on the social media infrastructure of President Trump alone. Down-ballot leaders need to invest in their own social channels and localized content creators to amplify their messages.

As we look toward 2028 and beyond, the lesson for the GOP is to keep the foot on the gas and not let national accounts and amplification go dormant. The left is finally waking up to the fact that they are losing the digital front. The year-and-a-half hiatus of “Headquarters” proves that you can’t manufacture a movement with a cringy name change and forced authenticity.

The right has invested in and embraced social media. It’s time to ensure we keep the New Media Megaphone into the 2026 midterms and into 2028.

Maria Giannopoulos is a veteran Republican marketer and digital strategist. She is a former tech executive and served as the marketing and digital director for the 2024 Republican National Convention, establishing the first-ever content creator program at either Presidential Nominating convention.