Kamala IS brat.

This viral phrase exploded across social media, bridging the worlds of pop culture and politics and defining a key moment in Kamala Harris's presidential campaign. The BRAT album, created by British pop star Charli XCX, took over the summer with its bright, energetic soundtrack and nod to EDM beats. But how did this pop sensation become entangled with a major political race?

In a strategic moment, shortly after Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, Charli endorsed Harris with the now-famous tweet: “Kamala IS brat.” This simple endorsement became a rallying cry, electrifying Harris’s campaign with youthful energy. BRAT’s ethos—embracing defiance, youth rebellion, and boldness—reflects Harris's attempt to appear “cool” to younger voters. The playful, “messy, fun, and cool girl” image is intended to disrupt conventional political aesthetics, much like how BRAT’s take on pop music defies traditional expectations.

Within days, social media platforms were plastered with the campaign’s new lime-green, neon color scheme, which is closely associated with BRAT’s bold aesthetic. The Harris team quickly embraced this momentum by renaming its platform on X, formerly known as Twitter, to “Harris HQ” and capitalizing on viral trends.

Although the Harris team’s strategy to brand her campaign in BRAT’s rebellious image might capture the attention of younger voters on platforms like TikTok, the message risks appearing superficial. While Harris HQ leans into trends like the Coconut Tree memes, youth voters—especially those concerned with social justice—demand more than catchy branding. They want tangible policy changes, which is something that Harris has yet to demonstrate.

Harris’s declining appeal among younger voters stems from her alignment with controversial U.S. policies, especially regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Her support for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), even amid international reports of widespread violence and war crimes against Palestinians, has alienated key segments of her potential voter base, particularly those invested in human rights and anti-war movements.

This pop culture buzz may be masking the hard truth about Harris’s support for Israel and the IDF amid their invasion and bombing campaign in Gaza. For a significant portion of the youth, this is a deal-breaker. In battleground states like Michigan, where over 100,000 uncommitted voters have vocally protested the Democratic Party’s response to the Gaza conflict, her attempt to court the youth vote seems hollow.

Harris’s stance was specially scrutinized during her appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention. There, she reiterated that “Israel has the right to defend itself,” a historically charged position that sparked immediate backlash (ABC 2024). When pressed by journalists about the actions of the IDF and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—principally the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations against Palestinians—Harris struggled to offer a clear condemnation. While she acknowledged Palestinian self-determination as a "fundamental struggle,” she stopped short of denouncing the apartheid-esque conditions that many argue define the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.

This disconnect between Harris’s progressive campaign image and her foreign policy stances is stark for many young voters. While the youth vote helped propel Joe Biden to victory in 2020, Harris’s failure to fully align with their anti-war, pro-human rights beliefs may cost her this vital support in 2024. Her staunch advocacy for the $3.8 billion aid package to Israel, which includes many controversial military weapons, such as two-thousand-pound bombs, only exacerbates this alienation.

A recent article by The New York Times examined the impact of the BRAT phenomenon on the youth vote and found a divided response. While some younger voters were energized by the Harris campaign’s playful, rebellious spirit, others voiced concerns over her support for Israel, calling it a "huge problem" for voters who prioritize human rights when deciding which candidate to support.

At its core, the “Kamala IS brat” campaign may have successfully ignited a pop culture moment; for many, however, it falls flat when measured against the realities of U.S. foreign policy. Being a “BRAT” might sell records, but it doesn’t change the lives of the innocent men, women and children in Gaza who have lost everything, nor the fact that over 900 Palestinian families have been completely wiped off the map. The campaign might—and did—generate buzz, but real leadership requires confronting difficult truths. For Harris, this means moving beyond catchy slogans and addressing the fundamental human rights issues that matter to her most important voters: those disillusioned by U.S. foreign policy and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.