Democrats enter their thirst trap era

Democrats' social media strategy: Bringing sexy back

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1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Democrats enter their thirst trap era

* Avery Lotz

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!Blue collage: left man in a black shirt adjusts sunglasses by a tree; center bearded man in a suit smiles beside a "HOTTER" caption; right man in a white shirt with bold caption.

*If that's the case, it would be something like: Screenshots @democrats via tiktok: Abdul El-Sayed, Zohran Mamdani, and Jon Ossoff*

Democrats seem to be leaning into a specific midterm strategy, especially on socials: bringing sexy back.

* Unbuttoned shirts on CNN. Exposed biceps on the rally stage. Made-for-TikTok thirst trap b-roll. And the return of the tan suit.

**Why it matters:** The left is leaning into candidates who look young, energetic and even *desirable*, with fresh faces often eclipsing the older guard.

* "We see a rise in young millennials, or the top part of Gen Z, trying to get into office," says Grace Weinstein, a politics and culture senior correspondent at The Recount and founder of "Who Broke It?" "We're talking about a generation that is not always image obsessed, but always image aware."

**The big picture:** Democrats are working through identity growing pains between the left flank and the party's establishment. But with moderates and progressives alike, Dems are playing the sex appeal card.

* The party's main TikTok page has given big names the thirst trap treatment, including: Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) (nicknamed "Senator My Boo" by internet fans), Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in his tight-fitting T-shirts, a grinning NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former President Obama with a touch of gray, amongothers.
* The ladies — like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Michelle Obama — have gotten their share of screen time too, though Weinstein notes the Dems' page has made a "very intentional choice to feature the most attractive male members."

**Zoom out:** It goes hand in hand with a larger trend of politicians becoming part of creator culture, *Axios' Kerry Flynn and Sara Fischer*report.

* Paulina Mangubat, DNC digital content and creative director, tells Axios those "graphics and fan edits are reaching millions of voters and potential new voters in authentic ways – breaking into group chats and DMs – and spreading the word about Democrats in a fun way. Our 13.9 million followers agree: Fighting for Americans is sexy."

**Between the lines:** A resurgent MAGA world mastered the production of Mar-a-Lago/country-club chic in the 2024 election, Weinstein says, while Democrats were sometimes seen as "schlubby and … nerdy, or the sort of other end of the spectrum, which was like … blue-haired."

* Now, "Democrats are really working hard on TikTok, especially, to figure out what the brand is now," she says, and "rizz, for lack of a better word, is the dominant feature."

**Yes, but:** There's not a one-size-fits-all approach to Democrats' style: You'll rarely see Mamdani not wearing a suit, even in a pool. El-Sayed, on the other hand, has a more casual trademark, the black V-neck.

* It's all intentional, says Lauren Rothman, a style behaviorist who has worked with politicians — who she says are more aware "now than ever that they are visual communicators."
* Political messaging that used to be mediated mainly through static or TV news is now distilled on multiple platforms at a time — and those platforms "reward … personality and physicality."
* "The strategy is the same," she says. "The distribution system is what has evolved."

**The intrigue:** Researchers have longstudied the boost attractiveness or perceived competence gives candidates.

* "It's generally a perennial pattern among parties to try to get leaders that look the part," says Gabriel Lenz, a professor of political science at Berkeley who has studied how appearance impacts voters.
* From Warren G. Harding to JFK to Bill Clinton — and far beyond — candidate charisma (or rizz) and good looks have been central to success, at least temporarily, he explains. But Harding never got edited to Usher's "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)."

**What we're watching:** Whether sex appeal is as effective on the Hill as it is in Hollywood.

* In the meantime, whether you find it cringe or captivating: Expect more pecs in politics, references to candidates as "Father Figure\[s]" and questions about BDE.

**Go deeper:** Political profanity is having a f\*cking moment

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