US politics is seeing the rising influence of populist messages spread through social media influencers and podcasts upon the elections. These disruptors, which are challenging traditional media and politics, are increasingly shaping elections with messages that buck the status quo. Populism has become a dominant force in American politics over the past two decades.
From former President Barack Obama’s “hope and change” message in 2008 to Bernie Sanders’ advocacy for workers’ rights, and President-elect Donald Trump’s populist appeal, the rise of populism has reshaped the political landscape. Notably, this shift has made it increasingly challenging for centrist candidates to succeed within today’s political climate. People want change; they don’t want the status quo.
The 2024 U.S. election cycle was dominated by discussions of populism, underscoring its growing influence on American politics. Populism pits “the people” against “the elite,” transcending traditional left-right divisions. It often stems from anti-establishment sentiments and widespread voter disillusionment with the current political system. In the U.S., populism has taken on two main forms: economic populism, which challenges financial elites, and cultural populism, which resists intellectual elitism.
A key data point is the influence of podcasts on recent elections. Scott Galloway, a clinical professor of marketing at NYU’s Stern School of Business, called this “the testosterone podcast election.” Steve Johnston, former COO of FlexPoint Media, stated, “2024 will be remembered as the Podcast Election.” According to Current, weekly podcast listenership among Americans has increased by 31% since 2023. Furthermore, Politico reports that news sources affect voter preference: Biden led 70% – 21% among “newspaper” readers, while Trump led 55% – 39% among those getting news from YouTube/Google. This shift reflects changing demographics in news consumption.
People are increasingly moving away from traditional media for news. According to Pew Research, Americans are now turning to various platforms for information, with 21% using social media, which includes shared podcast highlights, as their main news source. About one-in-five primarily rely on news websites or apps (21%), while others get their news from search engines like Google (8%) or directly from podcasts (5%). Notably, almost half of U.S. adults under 30 (46%) commonly use social media for political news. This is a key demographic that helped Trump win the election, with younger male voters showing a preference for Trump.
According to further Pew Research, about 1 in 5 Americans (21%) of Americans regularly get their news from social media influencers. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger adults (under 30), with nearly (40%) relying on influencers for news. These influencers provide a mix of content, including factual updates, humorous commentary, opinions, hot takes, and breaking news. Approximately (30%) of their followers report feeling a personal connection to them.
Younger audiences are also more likely to credit news influencers with helping them understand current events. Both conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats often acknowledge that news influencers aid in grasping civic issues. Notably, (61%) of those who follow influencers on social media agree with the opinions these influencers share. Many also believe that news from influencers differs significantly from traditional news outlets.
Recently, in post-election analysis, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked her social media followers why a significant number had split their vote between her and Trump. Ocasio-Cortez noted, “Sometimes you have to dig in and see it to understand and adapt!” Their responses shed light on the current political climate and may help explain why Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, often regarded as one of the most qualified presidential candidates in U.S. history.
In response to Ocasio-Cortez’s query, one supporter said, “It’s real simple…Trump and you care for the working class,” while another explained they “wanted change.” A third commented, “Trump is going to get us the money and lets men have a voice.” Another added, “I voted Trump, but I like you and Bernie. I don’t trust either party’s establishment politicians.” One more said, “[Trump] speaks of war as something that is bad. Democrats became the party that supports war,” and another explained, “I went with Trump and blue for the rest of the ballot to put some brakes.”
CNN panelist Scott Jennings noted that voters who backed both AOC and Trump see them as “authentic.” She further explained, “the thing that Trump and AOC have in common is that they both appear to be authentically speaking what’s on their mind and what’s in their heart at any given time.” Jennings added, “People are sick and tired of fake, inauthentic politicians who can only operate off of a script, who are being handed things by consultants, whose every movement and facial expression is rehearsed.”
In conducting a post-election analysis and reflecting on the outcome, it is essential to examine the data and understand the prevailing trends. According to NowThis, many voters didn’t start researching Trump’s presidential plans until after the election. Searches such as “what is Trump’s plan,” “who pays for tariffs” or “how do tariffs work,” “three branches of government,” “Trump abortion ban” or “federal abortion ban,” “what is a naturalized citizen,” “Project 2025,” “what will Trump do in office,” and the clincher was “how do I change my vote” spiked post-election. This trend reveals a concerning lack of pre-election research by the electorate, with some voters expressing regret after the fact. Like the “No regerts” tattoo in the popular Milky Way ad, it seems many are now facing real regrets and a bit of buyer’s remorse.
Figures like Trump, Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Ocasio-Cortez have become prominent faces of populism, with Trump championing nationalism and direct action, while Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez focus on economic inequality and corporate power. This populist message resonates with many Americans, with the Democratic Party increasingly viewed as neglecting its traditional working-class base. There is a growing call for a return to “kitchen table” issues that directly address the concerns of everyday citizens.
Following the election, Elon Musk remarked, “You are the media now,” suggesting traditional media’s influence is fading in favor of social platforms like Google, YouTube and podcasts. This sentiment gained traction among right-wing influencers after Trump’s recent win, reinforcing the idea of direct media power. However, there’s a concern: unlike traditional journalists, social media influencers and podcasters often lack standards of journalistic integrity, sharing biased or unverified information that gains credibility simply by platform reach. Right-wing activist James O’Keefe echoed this view, telling The Atlantic, “The legacy media is dead… You are the media.” This raises questions: without balanced reporting, whose “truth” is being told, and is it accurate, or just an opinion given a voice?
The rise of the 24-hour news cycle has driven a need to fill airtime with “opinion news.” Following the end of the Fairness Doctrine in 2011, networks like Fox and CNN increasingly present partisan monologues on news and politics. This shift has led many viewers to tune out traditional media, either searching for balanced coverage or favoring opinions they find comfortable. Consequently, social media influencers and podcasters have gained influence as people seek perspectives that align with their beliefs through social media and podcasts.
During the election cycle, Trump appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, the most popular podcast in the U.S., as well as other shows. The Rogan episode was also shared on YouTube, where it has gained over 46 million views. To reach female voters, Harris appeared on Call Her Daddy on SiriusXM, one of the top podcasts among female listeners.
This trend has also fueled the growth of social media silos, where individuals interact with like-minded voices, often unchallenged by opposing views. This shift has amplified echo chambers of partisanship, notably in the years following the election of Obama, the country’s first Black president. Social media’s influence has further deepened these divides, encouraging users to speak without accountability or exposure to balanced perspectives.
Rogan leveraged his platform’s influence by interviewing Trump while declining Harris’s request to appear on his show. Unlike traditional news media, podcasts are not required to offer equal airtime to both candidates. Rogan, openly courting Trump supporters, scheduled an interview with Musk shortly before election day, likely appealing to Trump’s base. The influence of figures like Rogan and Musk arguably impacted the male vote, particularly among those feeling a pushback against societal shifts, such as those brought on by the #MeToo movement.
This shift was especially notable among Black and Latino male voters who moved toward Trump. This trend reflects a possible fatigue with #MeToo and a pivot among some voters toward Trump’s more traditional views on gender roles. In the online manosphere, language such as “your body, my voice” and “get back in the kitchen” has resurfaced, reflecting a concerning resurgence of chauvinistic and misogynistic rhetoric spreading online and even appearing in schools across the U.S.
The danger for podcasts that act as more personalized talk shows is that they do not adhere to the same journalistic standards as traditional media and often express deep personal biases. Having experienced the rise of podcasting and blogging firsthand, including hosting a panel at the BlogWorld and New Media Expo in the 2010s on building online communities, I’ve had the privilege of watching these platforms evolve. Observing how they have grown into powerful tools for bypassing and challenging traditional media bias has been both thrilling and inspiring.
Democrats sometimes overly focus on trying to please everyone, seeking to be the big tent party while appealing to the moderate middle. Going forward, this approach is a recipe for disaster. In today’s political climate, the disruptive messages of Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders would likely fare better than focusing on monied interests and trying to appeal to the center. Unlike her predecessor, President Joe Biden, Harris has been more comfortable aligning with the wealthy elite that supports the Democratic cause, much to the dismay of progressives like Sanders, who have long championed the working class—the backbone of the Democratic coalition.
As more people turn away from traditional news media in favor of podcasts and social media influencers for news and opinion, the future of the Democratic Party may lie in embracing populism and utilizing these new platforms. Podcasting, which is rapidly growing in influence, is becoming a key medium for political coverage, and its role in future media consumption is undeniable.
This shift away from traditional media should prompt journalists to reflect on how they present news. Reinstating the Fairness Doctrine and embracing podcasts and social media influencers as credible news sources may be essential as these platforms continue to shape public discourse which may be challenging with the way anyone with a mic can create a podcast.
Data shows that social media influencers and podcasters amplified Trump’s populist message, helping to sway key voters. Some who supported Ocasio-Cortez also backed Trump, highlighting a broader shift in political alignment. Messages from politicians like Sanders also continue to resonate strongly with the public. If the Democratic Party hopes to remain influential, it must focus on crafting its own populist message and leverage new media, such as podcasts and social media influence, to promote its message more effectively.
