TikToker aids youth in seeing beyond leftist media; shares message for GOP.

The following is​ part of an interview ‌with Link Lauren, a ⁤new media journalist and TikTok sensation, and Federalist​ Staff Writer ​Evita Duffy-Alfonso. The two discuss how the GOP ⁢should message to ‍Gen Z, TikTok, climate insanity, and more. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Click ‍here to watch Link Lauren on TikTok.

Evita Duffy-Alfonso

Hi, everyone: this is Federalist staff‌ writer Evita Duffy-Alfonso, and​ I’m here talking with Link Lauren, a‌ new media journalist who has garnered hundreds of thousands of ​followers on TikTok ⁤and is currently covering the GOP primaries.‍ Today, we’re‌ going to discuss with him what‍ the GOP can do to reach out to Gen Zers and a ​number of other topics. So, Link, thanks for being here ⁣and talking with me today.

Link⁢ Lauren

Thank you⁤ for⁤ having me. I’m​ so‍ excited to talk to you.

ED

Tell me a little bit about ‌who you are, how ⁣you ⁣got‍ into this⁤ realm of new media journalism, and ​why you think you’ve really struck ⁤a​ chord with so many people on social media.

LL

So I grew up in Dallas, Texas, and then I went to‍ college at NYU, the most liberal school on Earth. NYU really went on lockdown during the pandemic, like really shut down. So, ⁣I was in my apartment, doing school online, and I⁢ decided to start covering cultural stories⁣ and news stories. And⁤ that’s where I started growing ⁢my following. The ​mainstream media sometimes can be a little skewed — they have their own agenda. And I would just look at news stories from a common-sense perspective. I’d look at something and say,⁣ “Okay, what do I think about this?” I’d say ​what makes sense, put it out there, and it turns out common sense isn’t that common.

ED

So you ⁤started by bringing common sense to regular people on social media, and then you‍ amass this giant following. What kind of advice do you have for the GOP going into ⁢the primaries and then into a general election to reach out to Gen Z? Because the ​numbers for the midterms were abysmal for ⁢Republicans.

LL

I feel like for⁤ any political party, ⁤stop focusing on pushing candidates and speak to‌ what young people are going through. What ‌I hear from young people is that financial stress is‍ the number⁣ one issue they⁤ have going on in their lives. ​So reach into the hearts ⁢and minds of young people and tell them how you’re going to relieve their‌ financial stress, how⁣ you’re ​going to help ‌them pay for their first house, their first apartment, college, their car, gas,‌ food, health insurance. If you can offer solutions⁣ and show solutions on social media to⁢ those things, then you can really bring ‌young​ people‍ into your coalition⁣ who will probably stay⁤ a lifetime.

There’s also this real struggle right now ‍between ⁣mainstream media and alternative media and social media.​ I think⁣ everybody’s figuring it out,⁤ so everyone deserves some grace and everyone deserves a pass. But ⁢I do⁣ wish politicians and political parties would embrace social media ⁢influencers⁣ more because ⁢they might ⁣have⁣ more reach than someone on CNN, you know‌ what I’m saying?

ED

Absolutely. I’m somebody who’s on‍ TikTok. I’ve gotten a lot of flack for it, even from people on the‍ Federalist staff, and we’ve had debates back​ and forth on our‍ site‍ about whether or not it’s appropriate to ‍be on TikTok or‌ use TikTok. I have my opinions about TikTok,⁣ I think⁤ that ‍you ⁤have to be where the‌ young people are if you want⁤ to enact any‍ change in this country. What are your thoughts on TikTok, and how do you justify your use of TikTok ‌to the older ⁢generations?

LL

Well, like you said, Evita, you have to find​ people where‍ they are. So ‍if the young people ‌are on this platform, that’s where you have to go. I ‌mean,⁢ look at back in ⁢the day ⁢when⁢ people were on‍ MySpace, ⁣and then⁤ they went to Facebook, then they ⁤went to ​Instagram, you’ve got to evolve. You have to go find them where they are and ⁤jump into it.

ED

I ⁣don’t want to downplay the threat that China poses to​ the United States and the‌ CCP’s use of ⁤TikTok. Obviously, TikTok and its creators and the‍ people who run the app are beholden to the CCP,⁣ which is a ⁤problem. But I think about our own social media companies and the way ‍that American⁢ social media companies‌ have targeted conservatives, silenced speech, and‌ partnered with the Biden administration to shut ⁢down opposition media, and⁢ I have to‌ say I’m not⁣ as worried about TikTok as I am worried about ‌American ‌companies that are beholden to ‍our own government. TikTok poses a threat, but⁢ I⁤ think they ⁢all pose ⁣a threat. And if we’re going to be ⁢on one ‍of them, we might as well be on the one ​that has the most ‌Gen ‍Zers.

LL

I understand that people have concerns, they feel it’s not ​safe,​ or they feel like they’re ⁤being watched or ​surveilled. I​ totally get it. You’ve ‌got⁤ to do what you’re comfortable with. But it’s a fallacy to think‌ that these ‌other social media companies aren’t garnering our information or ⁤watching us.

ED

You know, Gen Z seems somewhat politically homeless. There are some people who are strident conservatives like​ myself, but I know that there are a lot of young people who​ pick⁤ and choose parts ⁢of the party ⁢platforms‌ that they⁣ like. Some candidates that they like, some aspects of those candidates that they don’t like, and there doesn’t‍ really seem to be one party speaking to ⁢Gen Z. What do you see​ happening as ‌more⁣ and ​more young people start to vote? Do you see the ⁤two-party system ⁣continuing? Maybe the two parties evolve differently ‍to accommodate Gender Z’s unique⁢ perspectives and beliefs. How ⁤do you see ⁣that playing out in the years to come?

LL

Well, I feel like young people are much more ‌independent ‌than either Republicans‌ or ​Democrats realize ⁢at this ​point. I⁤ mean, you even have ​people defecting from the Democratic Party like Tulsi Gabbard and ⁢others‍ to ⁣become independent. So ⁣I think we’re gonna see a lot more independents. You’ve also ⁤got the Green Party, this No Labels party, so I think young ⁢people‍ are just trying to ​figure out where they stand. We even see ​that with LGBT stuff. You⁣ see so many more people who are nonbinary. So I feel like there’s always this thing with‌ young people where they‍ don’t want to fit into any binary or be put in ‍a box. I just think young people⁤ are much more beholden to policy than they are to political parties.

ED

Is there⁢ any advice ⁢that you have closing out? For any candidates, ⁣any ​of these political consultants, or​ grassroots ⁤organizers trying to ⁣reach out to Gen-Zers?

LL

Honestly,⁣ what I said‍ at⁢ the beginning, reach ‍out to young people and what they’re​ going through, it’s ⁣really that simple. And you know, sometimes the simplest answer is the best⁣ answer. If you‌ offer solutions to things that are going ‌on in their lives,​ they just ⁤might join your party.