Democrats continue struggling through their journey in the political wilderness, but one problem they have identified is a loss of their grip on popular culture.
Their familiar effort to win the endorsements of celebrities and to campaign with pop culture icons failed to generate the same enthusiasm that propelled politicians like former President Barack Obama.
Instead, Trump’s political success was fueled by appealing to center-left podcast hosts, comedians, gamer streamers, and online influencers who helped him seize an unprecedented number of votes of Americans previously ignored by the Republican Party.
The New York Times revealed that several Democratic groups have pitched ideas to amplify their politics online, many of them receiving millions from investors to get started.
But the Democrat attempt to create a ‘left wing’ podcast network to swing the conversation to the left drew jeers from MAGA political strategists.
‘I mean, good for them, if they can sucker these people into giving them money, it’s just a total grift, that will have no effect,’ Republican political strategist Alex Bruesewitz told the Daily Mail. He ridiculed Democrats for ‘being completely out of touch.’
Bruesewitz worked with Barron Trump to shepherd President Trump through the unconventional but influential world of podcast personalities such as Theo Von, Andrew Schultz, the Nelk Brothers, Jake and Logan Paul, Adin Ross, as well as the number one podcaster Joe Rogan.
The search for the ‘liberal Joe Rogan’ has become a punchline for Republicans who point out that Rogan was once a California liberal, but that the policies of the left drove him away.
Comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan on his show the Joe Rogan Experience in Austin, Texas
Theo Von, left speaks with Jake Paul in Emancipation Hall at the 60th Presidential Inauguration
Comedian Andrew Schulz interviewed Donald Trump on his podcast ‘Flagrant’
‘The Left should stop and ask how they lost Joe Rogan in the first place,’ online strategist Zach Henry told the Daily Mail. ‘But just like after every election, they skip the introspection and double down—more spin, more propaganda, never any accountability.’
‘They had the liberal Rogan, his name was Joe Rogan, until their psychotic policies alienated him,’ wrote former Trump aide and political strategist Andrew Surabian on X.
Rogan was once a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders for president in 2016 and also championed Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a former rising Democrat before she was effectively ostracized from Democratic leadership and joined the Republican Party.
Surabian argued that the left was ignorant of how Rogan earned the trust and admiration of his massive audience.
‘Dems STILL don’t get Rogan’s appeal. He built an apolitical fanbase over 25 years precisely because people trust he isn’t bought and paid for by a political party,’ he wrote.
Bruesewitz said Democrats would need to dial back on some of their more unpopular policies and engage with existing influential podcasts if they wanted to find their way back into political rebalance.
‘Instead of reversing their insane policies that are not rooted in common sense and have alienated every reasonable person in America, Democrats are going to double down on their insanity, and just invest millions of dollars to astroturf shills of their policies,’
To be a ‘shill’ in the podcast and influencer community is the biggest insult, as critics frequently question whether rising shows and podcasts are somehow being compromised by a growing coalition of well-funded interests who want to control the message.
Jake Paul (L) and Logan Paul (R) sit the VIP viewing area in Emancipation Hall for the Inauguration of Donald J. Trump
Donald Trump participates in an interview with Logan Paul
Political strategists from the 1990s and early 2000s sense a familiar trend among Democrats who worked tirelessly to create a ‘left-wing Rush Limbaugh,’ after the titan AM political talk show radio host singlehandedly weaponized common sense, humor, and unvarnished conservative opinions to swing the country to the right.
Left-wing efforts to astroturf talk radio resulted in failed projects such as Air America, which crumbled into obscurity.
Even Democratic strategists appeared discouraged by the conversation stemming from activists trying to raise money to try and build their own networks.
‘There is no liberal Joe Rogan because there isn’t a conservative Joe Rogan,’ wrote former Kamala Harris political strategist Mike Nellis on X. ‘He’s a f***ing entertainer. Go on his show and engage with his audience.’
Notably, Harris snubbed Rogan’s invite to appear on his program during the 2024 campaign, while Trump sat for a multiple hour interview spanning a wide range of topics.
The now-president’s interview broke YouTube records and garnered over 38 million views in just three days.
But Democrats who are now eager to go on podcasts also face a barrier from the podcast community who have rejected a lot of the policies.
Efforts to abandon free speech principles and cancel comedians for ‘anti-woke’ jokes was highly unpopular with their audiences.
Should a Democrat get a spot on the show, they would have to answer for any attacks on free speech, ‘woke’ policies, and admit they did something wrong in the last election cycle.
Alex Bruesewitz poses for a photo with President Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr.
Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor at Politicon at the Pasadena Convention Center
Creating safer more partisan spaces online tends to make Democrats more comfortable.
The ‘Obama bros’ Jon Lovett, Jon Favreau, and Tommy Vietor who funded the Pod Save America podcast after President Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016, won significant funding from Democratic benefactors including George Soros to help expand ‘Crooked Media’ into a larger news and podcast network.
The digital publishing group MeidasTouch made waves during the 2024 election and expanded their footprint in 2025 after Harris lost to Trump.
But neither of the overtly political messaging platforms can touch the impact of Rogan’s audience and influence combined with other prominent podcasters who agreed to interview Trump on their shows.
A gleeful Bruesewitz suggested that Democrats invest more in existing liberal influencers who were already being patronized by political firms to drive a Democratic message.
David Hogg attends the Fast Company Innovation Festival 2024 a
David Hogg appears on Real Time with Bill Maher
‘I’m just hopeful that David Hogg wins and they invest millions to platform him.’ Bruesewitz said.
Hogg, a student who attended Parkland High School in Florida during the 2018 school shooting, was plucked out by liberal professionals to lead a charge for gun control.
Conservatives were amazed that Hogg was elevated to a prominent position in the Democratic National Committee where he began tearing down existing Democrats and generating heartburn for party operatives.
Bruesewitz, who enthusiastically supported Hogg’s rise as a bit of a troll, suggested that he take up the mantle of the left’s biggest voice in the podcasting world.
‘He should leave the DNC now, I think he’s done his work there, he should leave the DNC now and take tens of millions of dollars to be the left’s Joe Rogan,’ he said.