_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
After a bruising loss in the 2024 elections, Democratic strategists are trying to find — or manufacture — a left-wing Joe Rogan.
They believe it was his influence, and the influence of podcasters like him, that helped Donald Trump triumph over Kamala Harris.
These strategists are urging megadonors to bankroll a sprawling network of online influencers. Dozens of proposals are circulating, but critics, including some inside the party, say the plan misfires. Unlike Rogan, who built his audience through authenticity and independence, these efforts are top-down, donor-driven, and risk being seen as artificial.
_THE FACTS_
A Democratic operative described creating a spreadsheet of 26 projects related to funding new creators, with more than a dozen launched since November.
AND Media, short for “Achieve Narrative Dominance,” is a private company built by liberal donors after the 2024 elections that seeks to build influencer networks.
It has raised $7 million and is seeking $45 million more to throw at various influencers.
Project Bullhorn, a similar endeavor, aims to raise $35 million to fund liberal creators and is backed by donors tied to Google billionaire Eric Schmidt.
Channel Zero, another for-profit venture, plans to offer support services to influencers with existing audiences.
Joe Rogan mocked Democrats’ plan when it began circulating after the 2024 election, saying, “They had me. I was on their side!”
Democratic strategist Marissa McBride admitted success requires “something that is happening organically,” recognizing that Joe Rogans aren’t created from the top-down.
Some donors are skeptical of the idea and prefer to fund legal fights against the Trump administration, seeking more concrete wins.
_INSIGHTS_
As McBride points out, the Democratic Party’s influencer push largely misses the point.
Joe Rogan didn’t become a cultural force because someone funded him, nor did he become a Republican because of GOP dollars. He built his audience by rejecting political orthodoxy, speaking freely, and refusing to be managed.
As the Democrats shifted into an increasingly woke direction, Rogan moved toward the GOP (remember, in 2020, he supported Bernie Sanders), and has been open about the reasons he shifted. Democratic media ultimately has a credibility issue, which must be solved first and foremost.
