Donald Trump’s guest appearances on podcasts like Joe Rogan’s and Theo Von’s were seen as crucial for his campaign for a second term. While he was chatting about alien life on Mars with Rogan, many of his loyal supporters were spreading his message on numerous smaller niche podcasts led by right-leaning creators who usually focus on non-political topics. Just six days before the election, for example, Kash Patel, who is now facing challenges at the FBI, appeared on Deplorable Discussions, a fringe livestream infused with QAnon ideas, on a platform called Pilled. “The Deep State exists,” Patel declared. “It’s a Democratic-Republican uniparty swamp monster machine.”
At that point, the Trump campaign seemed to recognize something significant: social media influencers, even those who generally avoid politics, have a remarkable ability to influence their audiences. And now, there’s evidence backing that up.
A new report, shared exclusively with WIRED and conducted by researchers from Columbia and Harvard, reveals the impact that online creators can have on their followers. The study involved 4,716 Americans aged 18 to 45, most of whom were randomly assigned a selection of progressive content creators to follow. From August to December 2024, these creators provided nonpartisan content aimed at educating their audiences rather than pushing specific political agendas.
The results indicated that those exposed to these progressive creators not only gained political knowledge but also shifted their policy and partisan views to the left. On the other hand, a placebo group allowed to scroll social media unfiltered showed a notable rightward shift, which researchers noted was influenced by the generally right-leaning nature of social media platforms.
Experts who reviewed the study believe these findings highlight a significant shift in the landscape of political influence. “The research supports what many have been suspecting: content creators are a significant force in politics, poised to play a major role in the 2026 midterms and an even greater role in the 2028 elections,” says Samuel Woolley, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh who focuses on digital propaganda.
The Politics Paradox
Beyond examining how social media influencers shape public opinion, the researchers also sought to determine whether creators are more or less influential based on the political content they produce. They randomly assigned participants a list of creators to follow, some of whom primarily discuss political matters, while others mainly produce apolitical content.
