Late on Tuesday evening, when it turned clear that Donald Trump can be re-elected as president of the USA, the so-called “heterodoxy” was elated.
For years, these male podcasters, influencers and public figures had marketed themselves as free-thinking pundits who evaded the bounds of political classification. “Their political opinions may as soon as have been described as libertarian,” Anna Merlan wrote for the Guardian in August; the phrase used to explain them pointed to the identical, derived from the Greek heteros, which means different, and doxa, which means opinion.
Nonetheless, in 2024, the heterodoxy universally endorsed, supported and celebrated the hyper-masculine promise of Trump. This has created a second by which the overwhelming majority of on-line voices who attraction to younger males are explicitly pro-Trump. Within the wake of his win, those that at the least feigned political ambivalence now really feel no must average themselves.
Joe Rogan reacted to Trump’s win on Tuesday evening by yelling a reverential “holy shit” in a video he posted to X that confirmed him watching Trump’s election get together on Fox Information. Rogan, whose chart-topping podcast has an estimated 81% male viewers, considers himself extra of a conversationalist than a pundit however nonetheless endorsed Trump hours earlier than the election, after internet hosting Trump and JD Vance on The Joe Rogan Expertise. (He invited Kamala Harris, however they might not agree on interview phrases.)
Rogan endorsed Bernie Sanders within the 2020 Democratic main after which voted libertarian, and initially preferred Robert F Kennedy Jr in 2024. He has supported left-leaning insurance policies like drug and marijuana legalization, same-sex marriage and abortion rights, although he vehemently opposes gender-affirming take care of transgender youth. Finally, he attributed his pivot to Trump to Elon Musk, the final visitor to look on his podcast earlier than the election.
“If it wasn’t for him we’d be fucked,” Rogan posted, referring to Musk. “He makes what I feel is probably the most compelling case for Trump you’ll hear, and I agree with him each step of the best way.”
Musk, who is usually well-liked amongst heterodox figures and their supporters, was gleeful because it turned clear that Trump had gained. He posted an image to X displaying him holding a sink within the Oval Workplace – a reference to his 2022 takeover of Twitter HQ – captioned “let that sink in”, seemingly relishing the enterprise success and coverage affect he anticipates having underneath a second Trump administration, which he helped safe.
Musk’s shift to the far proper – after voting for Obama and opposing Trump in 2016 – turned noticeable throughout the pandemic, when he turned pissed off that lockdown necessities had been slowing manufacturing at SpaceX and Tesla. Since taking on Twitter, now X, he has re-platformed Trump and conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones in addition to racist and sexist provocateurs just like the white nationalist Nick Fuentes. “Your physique, my selection. Endlessly,” Fuentes posted on Tuesday evening; the phrase has been making rounds on social media since. Musk personally shares an more and more massive quantity of far-right content material on his personal web page – particularly transphobic content material, seemingly in response to his estranged daughter popping out as transgender.
Whereas closing election knowledge has but to be launched, preliminary exit polling signifies that males, and significantly younger males aged 18-29, had been a vital pillar of help for Trump. Now greater than ever, younger males are at odds with extra liberal younger ladies, supporting Trump over Harris 56% to 42%, whereas younger ladies most popular Harris 58% to 40%, in keeping with exit polls. These younger males, particularly these and not using a school diploma, have expressed feeling unfulfilled, dissatisfied with their jobs and lives, and desirous of a society and residential life with conventional gender roles. For years, media shops have documented how increasingly more younger males have been radicalized after consuming content material from right-leaning entertainers and commentators, particularly on platforms like YouTube and Twitch. Now, as extra of these males have reached voting age, this phenomenon seems to be benefiting Trump and the far proper.
One 2021 examine discovered {that a} main predictor of help for Trump – over get together affiliation, gender, race and schooling degree – was perception in “hegemonic masculinity”, outlined as believing that males ought to be in positions of energy, be “mentally, bodily, and emotionally robust”, and reject something thought-about female or homosexual. Some heterodox influencers gained a following by embodying or selling exactly this model of masculinity, and giving their followers a script for blaming dissatisfaction on ladies.
Jordan Peterson, who has constructed a profession as a pop pseudo-psychologist selling patriarchy and the revival of the “masculine spirit”, considers himself to be “devoid of ideology”, however has aligned himself with rightwing figures like Tucker Carlson, Andy Ngo and Matt Walsh and often decried the media’s protection of Trump, calling it biased. He was fast to have fun Trump’s victory – albeit in a backhanded manner. “Thank Heaven for working class slobs,” he posted to X at 1.40am.
Nico Kenn De Balinthazy, higher identified by his YouTube moniker Sneako, took to the streets of New York on Tuesday evening in a Make America Nice Once more hat and an American flag draped round his shoulders. Sneako, who supported Bernie Sanders in 2016 earlier than switching his allegiance to Trump, might be seen making an attempt to impress the folks round him, gloating because the outcomes got here in. He loudly laughed at one lady who was crying. The day earlier than the election, he had posted on X: “Kamala Harris is proof that girls shouldn’t vote.”
Not each heterodox determine has been explicitly pro-Trump this yr. Dave Portnoy, the founding father of Barstool Sports activities, which is overwhelmingly geared towards males (significantly college-age males), was additionally fast to react to the election outcomes. In a video posted to his Instagram, Portnoy – who has been accused of constantly misogynistic habits each at and outdoors work – didn’t have fun Trump, who he has by no means endorsed, however he expressed indignation at liberal voters.
“Individuals like myself, independents, moderates – the Democrats gave us no selection,” Portnoy mentioned, at occasions slurring his phrases. “That was the worst marketing campaign. And their pure vanity and their ethical superiority have pushed folks away. Should you say you’re voting for Trump, out of the blue you’re a Nazi, you’re Hitler, you’re rubbish. Sufficient. Sufficient.”
Lex Fridman by no means endorsed Trump both. The science and politics podcast host is much less brash than the majority of the heterodoxy, however continues to be common amongst younger males and nonetheless pleasant to rightwing figures like Carlson and the previous Trump adviser Stephen Miller once they cease by for interviews. On election evening, he replied to Musk’s enthusiasm for Trump with a rocket emoji and “LFG!”
He additionally was certain to acknowledge a perceived win for himself as he celebrated Trump’s. “PS: Lengthy-form podcasts FTW,” he posted. “I hope to see politicians from either side doing 2-3+ hour real, human conversations shifting ahead.”
Throughout this election cycle, Trump’s embrace of the bro-centric podcast scene got here as he sidelined (and in some instances, fumbled) conventional marketing campaign ways like door-knocking and canvassing. This selection seems to have had no unfavorable impact on his election bid. The truth is, it might have even helped him. Trump’s victory may very effectively be an emboldening selection amongst heterodoxy figures, who now see the attainable fruits of brazenly embracing the suitable. They definitely aren’t going away.