Harris-Walz taps into wide range of Democratic coalition with camo hat

New merchandise indicates the Harris campaign is continuing its attempt to reboot Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2020 online campaign — an approach that previously failed her but may work better this time around.

Harris waged a largely online campaign in 2020, earning significant initial fanfare that quickly fizzled out. She dropped out before the Iowa primary with dismal poll numbers. Now, the campaign is seemingly retrying this approach, signified by its reliance on memes and online-oriented merchandise and references.

The recently debuted Harris-Walz camo hat taps into young and online supporters but also targets the opposite end of the Democratic coalition — middle aged men who hunt. The hat features orange text on a camo background, a unique design similar to that of musician Chappell Roan, who is hugely popular among young and LGBT individuals. Her merchandise features her album title, Midwest Princess, in orange text on a camo background.

“is this real,” Roan said in a post on X, quoting a user who pointed out the similarity.

Roan’s surprise indicated she was not in on the marketing stunt.

The choice in design could be an attempt to unite sections of the Democratic Party for Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN). Walz wears camo hats often, even donning one when Harris called to offer him the position of vice president.

The 3,000 Harris-Walz hats sold out quickly and benefited the Harris campaign to the tune of a million dollars. Another rollout of the merchandise is planned for October, according to the New York Post.

The overwhelming majority of buyers were likely supporters belonging to the youth/LGBT demographic. Walz won a lower percentage of the rural vote than President Joe Biden in 2020.

The appeal to Roan’s fans is just the latest stunt in the Harris-Walz campaign’s embracing of memes and pop culture. Among the first bits Harris played into was singer Charli XCX’s brat album.

The album has turned out to be a major hit. It features songs that have become popular anthems for the summer. Some Harris fans began making edits of the vice president with the album as a background, earning an endorsement from the singer herself.

“kamala IS brat,” Charli wrote in a post on X.

The campaign has since sold merchandise that adopts the “brat” aesthetic.

Roan shot to stardom in 2023 with the release of her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which gained renewed attention in 2024. Her relationship with Harris isn’t all rosy, however. In June, Roan publically rebuked a request from the Biden administration to perform at the White House pride celebration over its handling of the war in Gaza.