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Kamala Harris has welcomed an unlikely endorsement from British pop star Charli XCX, as she launches her presidential campaign in the 2024 White House race after Joe Biden withdrew.
The vice president was announced as the new Democrat frontrunner, prompting a flurry of donations to the party and statements of support from celebrities including Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand and pop singer Lizzo.
Meanwhile, Charli XCX referenced her latest hit album as she declared on social media: “Kamala IS brat.”
The concept of “Brat”, the title of the singer’s latest record, is described by Charli as someone who has a “pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra”.
It has been deemed by some pop critics as a rejection of the “clean girl” aesthetic popularised by TikTok, spurning a groomed ideal in favour of a more hedonistic and rebellious attitude.
“You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things some times,” Charli explained in a clip on the social media platform.
“Who feels like herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.”
Charli’s post about Harris, shared to X/Twitter on Sunday (21 July), had already racked up more than 212,000 likes at the time of writing, and 12 million views.
Harris’s campaign HQ swiftly welcomed the support, changing its background image to the neon green and font used for the “Girl, So Confusing” singer’s album artwork.
Fans are also producing videos that combine clips of Harris speaking with songs from the album.
On Sunday, Harris thanked Biden for his endorsement of her, made in his announcement that he would not run for re-election.
“With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else,” she said.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said. “Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election.”
The VP is hoping to pull a 360 as she takes on former US president Donald Trump, whose team wasted no time in trying to discredit her as a nominee.
“Kamala Harris is just as much of joke as Biden is,” Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, who run Trump’s campaign said in a statement. “Harris will be even WORSE for the people of our Nation than Joe Biden.
“Harris has been the Enabler in Chief for Crooked Joe this entire time. They own each other’s records, and there is no distance between the two. Harris must defend the failed Biden Administration AND her liberal, weak-on-crime record in CA.”
Recent polls have shown that Harris polls better than Biden among key demographic groups, including young people and people of colour.
