A Briefing Space ‘Where Maggie Haberman Sits Next to Joe Rogan’
Trump's approach to media and the press briefing room is set for a significant transformation compared to past practices.
TroibNews 
On election night, Donald Trump declared victory and took the opportunity to invite Dana White, the UFC president, to the microphone. White played a significant role in connecting Trump to the manosphere, reaching out to young, conservative-leaning male voters who hadn’t been targeted on this level before.
In his short speech, White expressed gratitude not to traditional GOP donors or political strategists, but to a roster of influencers: the Nelk Boys, Adin Ross, Theo Von, the hosts of "Bussin’ With The Boys," and Joe Rogan. These podcasters and social media figures helped galvanize a new generation of Trump supporters, harnessing their platforms that boast hundreds of millions of viewers to engage young voters on issues like illegal immigration, while normalizing support for Trump.
The impact of these media influencers on Trump's messaging strategy will persist, according to sources close to the former president. “Both the strategy and the press briefing room will likely look a whole lot more like the media consumption habits of the American voters of today versus the 1980s,” a Trump official, granted anonymity to discuss ongoing plans, highlighted. “I could very well see a press briefing room where Maggie Haberman sits next to Joe Rogan.”
While it is premature to confirm any formal alterations to the traditional proceedings of the White House press corps, Trump’s team has strong motivation to cultivate links with unconventional media figures. For example, the Nelk Boys, known for their YouTube pranks, introduced Trump to the podcast sphere in 2020, a move that proved beneficial for his campaign to reclaim the presidency. Even some Democratic strategists recognized how the long-form format contributed to humanizing Trump, offering voters a chance to hear him discuss various pop culture and lifestyle topics.
“Embracing and providing access to people that are informing millions of people has to be an important part of our overall strategy, for sure,” the Trump official stated.
The Nelk Boys have invested nearly $20 million in their voter registration initiative, Send the Vote, as reported by someone familiar with the efforts who spoke on condition of anonymity. This initiative included targeted ad campaigns aimed at 1.1 million men aged 18 to 34 in swing states who were registered to vote but had never participated in elections.
Ultimately, 20 percent of the targeted voters, who had seen the Nellk Boys' ads, cast their early ballots, according to the source. Additionally, 110,000 visitors to the Send the Vote website checked their voting locations, out of approximately 2 million total visits. Leading up to the election, the Nelk Boys organized grassroots efforts, including canvassing at fraternity houses, hosting a tailgate at a Penn State-Wisconsin football game, and staging a voter registration concert in Atlanta featuring rapper Waka Flocka Flame.
In addition to Trump, JD Vance and other prominent surrogates have engaged with influential male-oriented podcasts, resulting in a surge of content from these influencers that resonated with viewers, including pranks that subtly promoted Trump and conservative ideals. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign sought to engage left-leaning influencers to connect with millennial and Gen Z voters, with Harris participating in podcast interviews, notably with Alex Cooper of "Call Her Daddy," which caters to a significant young female audience.
Despite these efforts, the Harris team struggled to retain support among young voters — particularly young men. Exit polling indicated substantial drops in Democratic support among voters under 30, with declines of up to 24 percent in Michigan, 18 percent in Pennsylvania, 15 percent in Wisconsin, and 14 percent in North Carolina.
“It’s not contrived, it’s not something you can make up on the fly,” remarked Andrew Kolvet, a Republican communications consultant and executive producer of "The Charlie Kirk Show," reflecting on the Trump team’s successful outreach to young voters online. “You can't just put on a camo hat and have a relationship with that audience. You have to embody the values of that audience. You have to have a connection.”
A day prior to the election, the Nelk Boys released a viral 30-second video titled “Dropping illegal immigrants off at rich liberals house,” featuring a humorous interaction with a woman who had a Harris sign in her yard. After affirming her support for allowing undocumented immigrants into the country, the Nelk Boys orchestrated a comedic scene with a bus arriving filled with Hispanic men, jokingly presenting them as guests for her. She ultimately closed her door.
“It's not like, ‘Hey, we're talking about immigration policy today. Here's why illegal immigration is bad for the economy,’” explained the Trump official. “It's just, here's some fucking hilarious skit.”
While Democrats have traditionally leaned on Hollywood celebrities, they too have sought to engage social media influencers. The Biden administration opened the White House to TikTok and Instagram creators, providing them briefings on key issues like the Ukraine conflict and the Inflation Reduction Act. Despite their efforts, the Democratic party continues to grapple with internal challenges, realizing that top figures like Harris missed critical opportunities to connect with new voters on platforms like "The Joe Rogan Experience."
"I think it’s telling that we could probably list on two hands the number of Democratic politicians that we’d feel comfortable sending on Joe Rogan,” reflected Jon Favreau, a former communications aide to Obama, on his podcast "Pod Save America." Favreau further remarked that the number might be counted on just “one hand,” suggesting he was being generous.
John Shahidi, a co-founder of "Full Send" and one of the architects behind Send the Vote, noted how Trump’s initial podcast interview with the Nelk Boys paved the way for him to recognize the immense potential of podcasts for mass outreach in modern media. Although the interview was later removed by YouTube for violating misinformation standards regarding Trump’s statements about the 2020 election, it garnered 5 million views within the first 24 hours.
“Bypassing traditional media, being genuine and giving a voice to the people overlooked by decades of ‘politics as usual’ was critical to his success,” Shahidi emphasized, “and we hope to visit him in Washington, D.C., soon to celebrate his epic victory.”
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
In his short speech, White expressed gratitude not to traditional GOP donors or political strategists, but to a roster of influencers: the Nelk Boys, Adin Ross, Theo Von, the hosts of "Bussin’ With The Boys," and Joe Rogan. These podcasters and social media figures helped galvanize a new generation of Trump supporters, harnessing their platforms that boast hundreds of millions of viewers to engage young voters on issues like illegal immigration, while normalizing support for Trump.
The impact of these media influencers on Trump's messaging strategy will persist, according to sources close to the former president. “Both the strategy and the press briefing room will likely look a whole lot more like the media consumption habits of the American voters of today versus the 1980s,” a Trump official, granted anonymity to discuss ongoing plans, highlighted. “I could very well see a press briefing room where Maggie Haberman sits next to Joe Rogan.”
While it is premature to confirm any formal alterations to the traditional proceedings of the White House press corps, Trump’s team has strong motivation to cultivate links with unconventional media figures. For example, the Nelk Boys, known for their YouTube pranks, introduced Trump to the podcast sphere in 2020, a move that proved beneficial for his campaign to reclaim the presidency. Even some Democratic strategists recognized how the long-form format contributed to humanizing Trump, offering voters a chance to hear him discuss various pop culture and lifestyle topics.
“Embracing and providing access to people that are informing millions of people has to be an important part of our overall strategy, for sure,” the Trump official stated.
The Nelk Boys have invested nearly $20 million in their voter registration initiative, Send the Vote, as reported by someone familiar with the efforts who spoke on condition of anonymity. This initiative included targeted ad campaigns aimed at 1.1 million men aged 18 to 34 in swing states who were registered to vote but had never participated in elections.
Ultimately, 20 percent of the targeted voters, who had seen the Nellk Boys' ads, cast their early ballots, according to the source. Additionally, 110,000 visitors to the Send the Vote website checked their voting locations, out of approximately 2 million total visits. Leading up to the election, the Nelk Boys organized grassroots efforts, including canvassing at fraternity houses, hosting a tailgate at a Penn State-Wisconsin football game, and staging a voter registration concert in Atlanta featuring rapper Waka Flocka Flame.
In addition to Trump, JD Vance and other prominent surrogates have engaged with influential male-oriented podcasts, resulting in a surge of content from these influencers that resonated with viewers, including pranks that subtly promoted Trump and conservative ideals. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign sought to engage left-leaning influencers to connect with millennial and Gen Z voters, with Harris participating in podcast interviews, notably with Alex Cooper of "Call Her Daddy," which caters to a significant young female audience.
Despite these efforts, the Harris team struggled to retain support among young voters — particularly young men. Exit polling indicated substantial drops in Democratic support among voters under 30, with declines of up to 24 percent in Michigan, 18 percent in Pennsylvania, 15 percent in Wisconsin, and 14 percent in North Carolina.
“It’s not contrived, it’s not something you can make up on the fly,” remarked Andrew Kolvet, a Republican communications consultant and executive producer of "The Charlie Kirk Show," reflecting on the Trump team’s successful outreach to young voters online. “You can't just put on a camo hat and have a relationship with that audience. You have to embody the values of that audience. You have to have a connection.”
A day prior to the election, the Nelk Boys released a viral 30-second video titled “Dropping illegal immigrants off at rich liberals house,” featuring a humorous interaction with a woman who had a Harris sign in her yard. After affirming her support for allowing undocumented immigrants into the country, the Nelk Boys orchestrated a comedic scene with a bus arriving filled with Hispanic men, jokingly presenting them as guests for her. She ultimately closed her door.
“It's not like, ‘Hey, we're talking about immigration policy today. Here's why illegal immigration is bad for the economy,’” explained the Trump official. “It's just, here's some fucking hilarious skit.”
While Democrats have traditionally leaned on Hollywood celebrities, they too have sought to engage social media influencers. The Biden administration opened the White House to TikTok and Instagram creators, providing them briefings on key issues like the Ukraine conflict and the Inflation Reduction Act. Despite their efforts, the Democratic party continues to grapple with internal challenges, realizing that top figures like Harris missed critical opportunities to connect with new voters on platforms like "The Joe Rogan Experience."
"I think it’s telling that we could probably list on two hands the number of Democratic politicians that we’d feel comfortable sending on Joe Rogan,” reflected Jon Favreau, a former communications aide to Obama, on his podcast "Pod Save America." Favreau further remarked that the number might be counted on just “one hand,” suggesting he was being generous.
John Shahidi, a co-founder of "Full Send" and one of the architects behind Send the Vote, noted how Trump’s initial podcast interview with the Nelk Boys paved the way for him to recognize the immense potential of podcasts for mass outreach in modern media. Although the interview was later removed by YouTube for violating misinformation standards regarding Trump’s statements about the 2020 election, it garnered 5 million views within the first 24 hours.
“Bypassing traditional media, being genuine and giving a voice to the people overlooked by decades of ‘politics as usual’ was critical to his success,” Shahidi emphasized, “and we hope to visit him in Washington, D.C., soon to celebrate his epic victory.”
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
