Over the weekend, I visited Washington, DC to engage with a myriad of right-leaning influencers and content creators instrumental in securing President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign victory. They seemed to be everywhere.
The 2024 election marked the rise of influencer politics, and the inauguration weekend was no exception: numerous pre- and post-inaugural gatherings and balls took place, along with the main event itself. Theo Von found himself seated in front of Jake and Logan Paul beneath the Capitol rotunda (at least until his chair gave way). Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, and Brett Cooper walked the Turning Point USA red carpet, stopping for selfies with supporters. Jessic Reed Kraus, who writes the HouseInhabit newsletter, mingled with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Make America Healthy Again ball on Monday night.
Back in August, I released a guide detailing the Republican and Democratic influencers shaping the landscape of the 2024 election. Influencers and content creators remain impactful, and they will continue to influence and steer policy discussions for the foreseeable future.
Welcome to Trump 2.0, where these creators capture the attention not just of their followers, but also of the president. Here are some notable figures to watch in the coming four years.
The Podcasters and Streamers
The 2024 election signaled a breakout period for podcasters in politics. Most of the shows that hosted Trump were aimed at the manosphere—a loosely connected group of creators promoting misogynistic, racist, and pro-male narratives online. Prominent figures in this realm include Joe Rogan, Andrew Schulz, the Paul brothers, and Adin Ross, all of whom shared their Trump interviews with millions of viewers. A second faction comprises creators who position themselves as the intellectual arm of the contemporary Republican party, such as Ben Shapiro, Dave Rubin, and Lex Fridman. Fridman’s YouTube podcast has millions of weekly viewers, while Shapiro’s show ranks among the top on Spotify.
These podcasters have propelled Trump’s agenda with minimal, if any, dissent. They are expected to play a crucial role in garnering support for decisions made by the Trump administration.
I briefly conversed with Shapiro on Sunday evening, inquiring about the future of the GOP and podcasting. “The influence continues to expand,” he noted. “Legacy media has completely overstated its relevance. We’re focused on growing not only our brand but also nurturing numerous other brands in the space; I believe it’s going to be a fruitful era for the podcasting industry.”
The Meme Pages
DC Draino, the Typical Liberal, RagingAmericans, and Snowflaketears are names of some of the largest pro-MAGA meme accounts on Instagram. Together, these pages boast over 6 million followers. They serve as a link between GOP leadership’s objectives and platforms like X and Instagram.
Consider these accounts as news aggregators for audiences who might otherwise overlook such content.
The Organizers
While Democrats have also collaborated with influencers in previous election cycles, no PAC or campaign has organized them as adeptly and effectively as the right. Thanks to Turning Point USA and its leader, Charlie Kirk, many of the GOP’s leading creators interact regularly at the organization’s summits and training sessions. Interviews with some of the top right-wing organizers suggest that this framework will only continue to expand over the next four years. Additionally, the organizers themselves have emerged as influential figures to monitor.
I detailed an influencer gathering (along with a celebratory event) orchestrated over Inauguration weekend by CJ Pearson and Raquel Debono. Pearson, a conservative creator with over 500,000 followers on X, co-chairs the youth advisory council of the Republican National Committee. He has been pivotal in the party’s engagement with influencers and is working on further training sessions with organizations like the Heritage Foundation.
