#VIRAL, The Newsletter: June 17, 2025

The new **crickets** audio courtesy of Trump's birthday parade, a trend to spotlight the creepy DMs, and more

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Girl and the Gov®
June 17, 2025

Welcome to #VIRAL, The Newsletter, which shares need-to-know content trends and concepts for political social media, digital, and comms professionals. Dive into this week’s picks below.

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TIKTOK CONTENT TRENDS

Give these a whirl (and post them on Reels & Shorts too)

“SQUEAKY WHEEL” AUDIO: If you haven’t seen this video of a very squeaky tank rolling through Trump’s birthday-military parade, well now you have. The audio – per the decision of the liberal side of the internet – is now the 21st century variation of the “crickets sound.” In other words, use the audio in any situation where you’re trying to illustrate an awkward silence, a fail in action, or an embarrassing/cringe moment.

“IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME…” AUDIO: This audio is usable for political content creators – tbh, wouldn’t rec for a candidate or elected, but you do you boo as Governor Beshear likes to say. This audio, which is apparently a Tom Holland quote, goes, “if you have a problem with me, text me, and then if you don’t have my number to text me, you probably don’t know me well enough to have a problem with me at all, so do with that what you will.” For the political content creator that does consider using the audio, its use for someone coming at you for something absolutely absurd [you be the judge of that metric].

“I DO NOT LIKE WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS DOING RIGHT NOW” AUDIO: This creator’s child said what so many of us are thinking, “I do not like what Donald Trump is doing right now.” The resulting audio can be used to create a TikTok that shares a specific action or actions that Trump is taking/doing right now that you don’t like. It can be a setting/b-roll video with 2-3 actions added to the video with text and the audio in the background; it can be a lip-sync style video like this; a video that shows evidence of Trump’s decision making like this.

“MAN OF THE YEAR” TREND: This trend has gone through a few phases/iterations. In its current iteration, it has the girlies using this audio to share some of the most heinous texts they’ve received from guys they’ve dated, guys in their DMs, guys on dating apps – and they’re beyond next level. For any women especially working in politics, the DMs, the inbox, the voicemail is all filled with… well you know. If there’s one you can share to highlight what women running for elected office or in said office experience, this trend is a way to put it out there. To do the trend:

  • Part 1 | this should be either a visual of the principal OR b-roll and have “lets hear it for the man of the year” added via text to the video or image

  • Part 2 | the screenshot or audio recording of the man saying something insane

“DON’T MAKE ME MAD OR I’LL THROW A FIT” TREND: For those with a passion for fashion, this carousel trend is a great way to showcase outfits [esp with symbolic meaning] and where you wore them. The framing of the trend is “don’t make me mad or I’ll throw a fit” which for those that are unfamiliar “fit” is short for “outfit.” The first carousel image should be an outfit pic with that phrase added via text. The following images should be outfit pics, and in the political case, text added sharing where each fit was worn [ex: the XYZ presser/gala/community event].

TIKTOK AUDIOS

TikTok audios for BTS and b-roll vids

AUDIO → Passion

INSTA REELS AUDIOS 

Background audios that make Reels move

AUDIO → About You

AUDIO → Try Me

AUDIO → Can’t Stop

Creative content concepts to try

“WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO IMPRESS” TREND: This trend has creators making Reels like this, based on the premise of someone saying this: “You’re so hard on yourself, who are you trying to impress” OR “You work so hard, who are you trying to impress?” And as seen with this Reel, the answer is the creator’s self as a child – they’re trying to impress themselves as a child with big dreams. This trend is widely applicable and easy to do. The ingredients:

  • 2-3 seconds video clip of the principal clearly working + one of the verbiage options shared above

  • Vertical image of the principal as a child + name or pronoun of the principal shown

  • This audio

  • A short and sweet caption

“WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT” TREND: This trend puts a spotlight on one thing a creator is thinking about – in the case of this Reel, it appears to be sparkling Rosé. In the political application lens, it could be a policy, a bill, a statement made by yourself or a colleague, a statistic, that’s top of mind. It could be also highly related to an area represented by an elected – think a county fair, a locally celebrated food or tradition, etc. Stylistically, the Reel could…

  • Show the specific item or setting that the principal is “thinking about”

  • Use a setting b-roll video with text over it sharing what they’re actually thinking about and why

The Reel should use this audio and take advantage of the caption space to further explain why the ‘thing’ highlighted is on the principal’s mind and thus should be on the viewer’s as well.

“UNLIMITED” AUDIO: This audio can be used to create a lip-sync style video where the principal is sharing that they have ‘unlimited’ patience or fight in them when it comes to defending rights, benefits, protections of any sort, etc. It’s a simple style video that can be taken with the principal walking toward the camera. The finished product should have text added to the screen that explains what they have unlimited patience for, ex: “the amount of hours I will dedicate to fighting for Medicaid when elected to Congress.” 

“THE PHONE CALL GETS TOO GOOD” TREND: This Reel embodies the situation that many of us – whether working in politics or not – have experienced, i.e. being on a phone call that just goes and goes and goes, to the point where you’ve walked your full 10K steps for the day without even realizing it. Since cellphone calls are seemingly always the move in politics, a variation of this Reel made working in politics edition would be incredibly fun to see; if your goal audience is others that work in the space, this would be a trend to explore – just maybe don’t climb any trees? 

THREADS TO THREAD

Reply or Repost to these digital notes on Threads

The Thread → Reply OR repost by using this to highlight not just the issues with the SignalChat but other concerns about Hegseth being in the position he’s in [Tulsi POVs could also be tapped here].

The Thread → Reply OR repost and share advice for staying engaged and active despite the constant sleuth of bad news.

The Thread → Reply OR repost by using this as a jumping off point to discuss how student loan payments are tanking people’s credit scores and how layoffs at the Department of Education factor in here.

The Thread → Reply OR repost and discuss something in politics that needs the level of positive PR that Matcha has been getting.

The Thread → Reply OR repost with advice for someone interning this summer in politics - frame as “what I wish I knew before interning at XYZ…”

The Thread → Reply OR repost and highlight something that Trump is doing that’s very characteristic of him and underscore how that is not a good thing for the American people [and why].

The Thread → Reply OR repost by sharing how minimally attended Trump’s birthday parade was. Make comparisons to the attendance of the protests. Show images to drive the message home.

SKIES ARE BLUE

Trending topics ATM on Bluesky

NBA Finals

Mike Lindell

World Cup

Liz Bruenig

Terry Moran

G7 Summit

AND BEFORE YOU GO

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