Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump is trying to rain on the Democratic National Convention (DNC) parade.
Trump, who accepted the Republican nomination during his own party’s convention last week, will hold an Ask Me Anything event on Reddit on Wednesday, CBS News’ Sopan Deb, who covers the Trump campaign, reported on Monday. The event will begin at 7 p.m. On Wednesday night. President Barack Obama, along with Vice President Joe Biden, will speak that night.
Reddit has held Ask Me Anything, or AMA, events with a wide range of individuals, including celebrities and politicians. Sen. Bernie Sanders, once a Democratic ticket hopeful, for instance, held an Ask Me Anything on Reddit last year.
Stepping into an Ask Me Anything can be a double-edged sword. Reddit is one of the world’s most popular forums, featuring subreddits where people can discuss topics that matter to them. However, it’s also been home to harassment and sexual harassment, and is often criticized for housing so-called “trolls,” or people that speak negatively about a topic to intentionally incite anger.
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Trump is a decidedly polarizing figure with many supporters and many who despise him. Stepping into an Ask Me Anything on Reddit, therefore, could see Trump face off with a rash of people taking aim at his policies, his comments against women and Muslims, and many other comments he’s made since his campaign started. That said, it’ll also be home to an adoring fanbase that will ask him about anything they want.
While Trump could face both adulation and hatred, it could ultimately prove to be a smart political strategy. For one, the media, which would normally focus all of its attention on the Convention, will now split its focus to see what Trump says during the Ask Me Anything. Depending on what he says and how he responds to questions, Trump could take some wind out of the DNC’s sails.
In addition, Reddit is home to many young voters, including those who have supported Bernie Sanders and now feel disenfranchised by a Democratic Party that, according to a Wikileaks email data dump, might have worked behind the scenes to ensure former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got the nomination. If Trump strikes the right chord, he could connect with some of those younger voters and potentially woo them as they decide who they should pick in this year’s election.
Reddit, in other words, has become another arrow in Trump’s quiver. Depending on how the Ask Me Anything goes, it could be one to which the Democrats will need to be ready to respond.
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Those interested in joining the Ask Me Anything can head over to “The Donald” subreddit, where Trump fans have been congregating and hoping he’d address them.
“The 45th President of the United States of America will be here at 7 p.m. ET this Wednesday,” the moderators reported. “Get your questions ready, put on your [Make America Great Again] hats, and bring your high-energy—it’s going to be TREMENDOUS!”
