What is the KHive? What to know about the online community supporting Kamala Harris

Not long after President Joe Biden’s struggling debate performance in Atlanta last week, some Democrats are calling to replace Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris on the party’s November tickets to beat President Donald Trump.Former Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, an ardent supporter of Biden, wrote a Newsweek opinion column extolling his appreciation for the president.“I was the first Presidential candidate to endorse Joe Biden in 2020. I love America. I love our Party. I love Joe Biden,” Ryan wrote. “The Democratic Nominee in 2024 should be Kamala Harris.”

In a CNN poll released Tuesday, Harris appeared to fare better against Trump in a hypothetical matchup than Biden. In the poll, she was running 2 points behind the former president, while Biden fell behind by 6 points.

Despite Harris giving Biden unconditional support after the debate, the vice president has seen a sudden surge in social media posts with the hashtag #KHive.

X, formerly known as Twitter, listed “Kamala” among its trending political topics on Wednesday, including a smattering of memes.

What is the KHive?

The KHive refers to Harris’s online supporters and once was viewed on the same level as the “Bernie Bros” of Bernie Sanders. They focused on defending and propelling Harris against racist and sexist attacks, but sometimes crossed the line into harassing others themselves. But they have been largely absent from social media in recent years as Harris’s popularity has declined – until recently.

Speculation about a Harris presidency led to a revival of the KHive online, as the vice president’s now-viral quote about coconut trees gained traction.

In a May 2023 swearing-in ceremony of commissioners at the White House, Harris said, “My mother used to — she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."

Despite calls from deep-pocketed donors, Democratic strategists, and numerous newspaper editorial boards to step aside, Biden told his campaign on Wednesday that he is committed to staying in the race, as previously reported by USA TODAY.“The past few days have been tough. I’m sure you’re getting a lot of calls, and I’m sure many of you have questions as well,” said Biden, according to a source familiar with the conversation. “Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can and as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running.”Joey Garrison and Rachel Barber contributed to the reporting of this story.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: What is the KHive? Kamala Harris's supporters rise up on social media