Over the weekend, I went to DC to meet everyone right wing influencers and content creators who created of President Donald Trump Victory possible in 2024. he was everywhere,
The election was in 2024 influential election And The inauguration was no different: Dozens of parties and balls took place before and after the inauguration this weekend, as well as the big event itself. Theo Von sat across from Jake and Logan Paul under the Capitol Rotunda (well, Until the podcaster's chair fell offBen Shapiro, Matt Walsh and Brett Cooper walked the Turning Point USA red carpet and posed for selfies with fans. HouseInHabit newsletter writer Jessica Reed Cross hung out with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Make America Healthy Again Ball on Monday night.
In August, I published A Guide to Republican and Democratic Influencers Shaping the 2024 elections. Influencers and content creators still matter, and they will continue to communicate and guide policy decisions in the years to come.
Welcome to Trump 2.0, where these creators have an ear not only for their audience but also for the president. Here are some of the ones to keep an eye on over the next four years.
Podcasters and streamers
The 2024 election was a breakout cycle for podcasters in politics. Trump went to most of the shows Manosphere completedA loose network of creators who promote misogynistic, racist, and pro-male ideologies online. This includes people like Joe Rogan, Andrew Schultz, Paul Brothers and Aiden RossWho shared his Trump interview with his millions of fans. There is also a second wing, composed of creatives who have branded themselves as the intellectual wing of the modern Republican Party, such as Ben Shapiro, Dave Rubin and Lex FriedmanFriedman's YouTube podcast reaches millions of viewers each week. Shapiro's show is one of the most popular the ones on spotify,
These podcasters have promoted Trump and his agenda with little, if any, pushback. They will likely be crucial in garnering support for the Trump administration's decisions.
I spoke briefly with Shapiro on Sunday night and asked what's next for the GOP and podcasting. “The power is increasing,” he said. “Legacy media has completely blown itself up. We're not only focused on expanding our brand, but there are so many other brands that need expansion, I think it's going to be a very prosperous time for the podcast industry.
meme pages
DC Draino, The Typical Liberal, RagingAmericans, and Snowflaketears Some of the biggest pro-MAGA meme pages on Instagram are. Combined, these accounts have over 6 million followers. They act as a conduit between GOP leadership priorities and platforms like X and Instagram.
Think of their accounts as news aggregators for people who might not be consuming it otherwise.
organizer
While the Democrats also worked with influential people in the last election cycle, no PAC or campaign organized them as effectively and efficiently as the right-wing ones did. Because of Turning Point USA and its leader, charlie kirkMany of the GOP's most popular creatives meet with each other at least a few times a year at the organization's summits and trainings. According to interviews with some of the right's top organizers, the infrastructure is set to increase over the next four years. The organizers themselves have also become influential people.
I wrote about it Inauguration weekend hosted an impressive party (and victory lap) which was imposed CJ Pearson And Raquel DebonoPearson, a conservative creative with more than 500,000 X followers, is co-chair of the Republican National Committee's Youth Advisory Council. He has played a key role in courting influential people in the party and is planning additional training with organizations such as the Heritage Foundation.