Jagmeet Singh's TikToks may have hurt the NDP's credibility in 2021: report

The NDP’s credibility took a hit in 2021, and party leader Jagmeet Singh’s TikToks may have had a hand in that.

The party’s 2021 campaign debrief, which was posted on the site earlier this year, evaluated its strengths and weaknesses last election cycle.

One of the report’s major takeaways was that Singh’s inconsistent messaging on the campaign trail affected whether people trusted that the NDP could achieve their objectives.

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“It’s like someone is drowning: Jagmeet is very caring and genuinely understands what the person is going through. He then tells them other leaders cannot help,” stated an unnamed central campaign staffer in the report.

“But then he didn’t throw a buoy, a rope that gives hope of getting out of there, something concrete to hold on to, something clear and real that will change things in Canadians’ day-to-day life, something to make the situation different, and better.”

The debrief suggests Singh’s social media presence may have added to people questioning his — and the party’s — credibility.

While local candidates shared in the report how the NDP’s use of social media helped attract support, some disagreed.

“There was suggestion that Jagmeet’s notoriety on TikTok makes him appear ‘less serious,’ which needs to be addressed,” reads the debrief.

Singh is known for having fun on TikTok, harnessing popular trends to engage younger voters.

@thejagmeetsingh Answer @im_siowei ♬ original sound – theJagmeetSingh

@thejagmeetsinghGovernments have sided with the super rich and allowed corporate greed to drive up the cost of living. We have to fight back!♬ Why is this trending – Jaz &lt3

The NDP leader even shares some of his personal life on his socials. His baby daughter became TikTok’s newest star after she made a cameo in some of his videos.

While some of his TikToks can be viewed as “less serious,” Singh also uses the platform to educate viewers on issues the NDP are tackling, including investigating corporate greed contributing to inflation.

@thejagmeetsinghThe grocery cartel is out of control. Greedlation is driving up the cost of food and hurting families across Canada. I’ve called for a parliamentary investigation and the vote is on Monday.  Help us pressure on Liberals and Conservatives to get it passed – link in bio.♬ original sound – theJagmeetSingh

With this report’s findings, it’ll be interesting to see how the party’s approach to social media changes in the next election.

As for Singh, he continues to be vocal on social media.

Last week the politician called out Kanye West for his antisemitic comments.