The internet has entered the era of Kamala Harris’s ‘coconut tree’

Democrats may soon nominate a presidential candidate capable of rivaling the GOP nominee donald trump in memeability.

After the president Joe Biden announced its decision to lose–electiona wave of memes about Vice President Kamala Harris – who Biden supported as the Democratic presidential candidate – has flooded the Internet.

On platforms like TikTok and X, the mood was celebratory, as many left-leaning accounts posted upbeat fan edits about Harris and turned memes into her most memorable speeches. On Sunday, British pop artist Charli XCX appeared to support Harriscalling her a “brat,” a reference to her new album, which has become the Gen Z theme of the summer.

Some political strategists say the memes are helping Harris generate a level of organic influence on social media among Gen Z that Biden has struggled to cultivate, amplified by the spotlight of a possible presidential nomination.

“She doesn’t take herself too seriously. She knows how to have fun and is willing to be a little less preachy than a traditional presidential candidate would be, and I think that’s a good thing in this election cycle,” said Marianna Pecora, communications director for the political advocacy group run by Generation Z, Voters of Tomorrow.

But Pecora said the viral moments aren’t just for laughs — they also indicate broader support for Harris, especially among young people who have sometimes felt disenchanted with presidential candidates.

“I don’t think anyone is necessarily going to memorize their way to the presidency,” said Pecora, 20, a George Washington University student. “But I think being able to make this election something bright and fun and exciting and something that infiltrates people’s diets and therefore their everyday lives, is just a good thing.”

Part of Harris’s frequent virality comes from her tendency to display her seemingly authentic personality online. That’s why many of her online supporters — who call themselves KHive — have steadfastly defended her since her first presidential run in 2020.

The KHive, which is a play on Beyoncé’s BeyHive, aired default behavior in the way content and news about Harris circulates. It gathered around a multitude of humorous moments, from her love of Venn diagrams for her out of tune version of “Wheels on the Bus” to your propensity to explode enthusiastic dance movements.

After Biden’s debate with Trump in June, which caused panic about his ability to run for re-election, KHive has gained renewed momentum online. Harris fans became one speech last year in which she cited her late mother, Shyamala Gopalantalking about a “coconut tree” inside of running meme.

“My mother used to do this, sometimes she would bother us and tell us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. Do you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?’” Harris said in the speech. “’You exist in the context of everything you live in and what came before you.’”

In the 24 hours since Biden’s announcement, Google search for “coconut tree” spiked dramatically.

The “coconut tree” army gained so much strength overnight that even elected representatives – such as the governor of Colorado. Jared PolisSen. Brian SchatzD-Hawaii and Governor of Illinois. JB Pritzker – he leaned towards him. Many X and TikTok users joked that the “coconut prophecy” had been fulfilled.

So far, however, Harris herself has not publicly acknowledged the meme.

A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Harris’s slight eccentricity sometimes makes her an easy target for online jokes. Some conservative accounts have tried to mock her more viral moments. In December, the Republican National Committee made a 4 minute compilation of Harris using one of his most notable lines: “What may be, relieved by what was.”

But some, like Annie Wu Henrya digital and political strategist, said that just because some of the things Harris says are silly doesn’t mean they leave a bad impression or deter potential voters.

“Some of these quotes that we saw, like the coconut quote, when they first entered the ether, people thought, ‘What is that quote?’” said Henry, who ran the viral TikTok campaign of Sen. John Fetterman, D- Pa., in 2022. “But as people read it, they thought, ‘No, that’s actually a really insightful thing to say.’ And people are having fun with it.”

Even Harris’ own camp appears to be embracing the online buzz. On Sunday, the campaign’s X account, @KamalaHQstarted using Charli XCX neon green “brat” theme as your cover image. Account X’s two-word biography also quotes Harris’ speech. It says: “Providing context.”

Although young progressives have been highly critical of Harris in the past for her conservative record as a prosecutor, several prominent groups of young, left-leaning voters have been quick to give your support behind her this week.

Social media advocacy group Gen-Z for Change, formerly TikTok for Biden, announced its Harris endorsement just hours after Biden dropped out. Voters of Tomorrow too renamed your page to “green brat,” writing in his social media profile description that Gen Z is in the coconut tree (using emojis to represent the tree).

Henry said he believes support from younger progressives — even those who may not completely agree with all of Harris’ positions — is so suddenly cohesive because “the overwhelming majority of people understand what’s at stake in this election cycle.”

“Nobody ignores what’s at stake and what we’re up against, and that means we’re going to consolidate and unite around who the candidate can be,” she said. “And if it is… Kamala Harris, I think everyone is extremely determined to make sure she wins.”

This article was originally published in NBCNews. with