Kamala Harris Is Embracing the Brat Lifestyle With an Endorsement From Charli XCX

Ever since Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, her coconut-pilled supporters have been working overtime to bolster her campaign for election. In a bid to secure the votes of a younger — and extremely online — base, a demographic to which many Harris supporters personally belong, they have embraced and co-opted several popular trends, from the "coconut tree" meme to Brat Summer.

If you're not familiar with the concept of a brat summer, it's a trend created by fans of Charli XCX, whose most recent album, titled "Brat," has taken the internet by storm.

But what does all this have to do with Kamala Harris?

The "brat" trend is one that's a bit hard to explain if you're not already in the know. It's centered around the popularity of pop sensation Charli XCX's latest album and characterized by "trashy" aesthetics, having fun, and a whole lot of lime green. In an interview with Nick Grimshaw, Charli listed her brat summer essentials as "a pack of cigs ... a Bic lighter, and, like, a strappy white top with no bra."

It focuses on authenticity and is seen by some as a rejection of the "clean girl aesthetic" previously popularized by social media. "You’re just, like, that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes," Charli explained. "[She] 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 ... But it’s brat."

Are you getting the picture?

There's no real criteria on how to have a brat summer, though, and in essence, it's all about being yourself, having a good time, and bumping Charli XCX on the loudest volume setting. All the cool girls are doing it — including Kamala Harris.

Kamala's team, including the official Kamala HQ accounts on social media, have fully embraced the brat summer trend, even changing their header on X to resemble Charli's "Brat" album cover. Kamala's supporters have been filling TikTok with mash-ups and memes, and have already started creating their own brat merch.

Charli XCX herself even endorsed Kamala and her use of the meme, tweeting, "Kamala IS brat." The post already has over 30 million views.