Associated Press
At first glance, there’s little that a 78-year-old former president and a 23-year-old internet personality might have in common.
Donald Trump admitted in a recent appearance on Adin Ross’ show that he only “more or less” understood livestreaming, the publishing of live video on social media. But he told Ross he appreciated that the show was part of “the new wave” of information — and he credited his youngest son, 18-year-old Barron, for helping educate him.
“My son’s told me about you, and they told me about how big, he said, ‘Dad, he’s really big,’” Trump said during their two-hour conversation.
Trump’s campaign has fully embraced the bravado-filled, macho, often contrarian online spaces popular with a subset of younger men on livestreaming platforms like Twitch and Kick, as well as on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. The former president has appeared with the influencer Logan Paul, another personality Trump said was a favorite of his youngest son, and spoke on X with multibillionaire Elon Musk, a figure revered by many younger conservatives.
Both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are competing for voters who increasingly get most of their news from non-traditional sources. Trump’s campaign aides talk to conservative influencers about potential topics and guests, while the Harris campaign credentialed around 200 content creators to the recent Democratic National Convention, with some getting free hotel stays and other perks from aligned liberal groups to be in Chicago.
“This election is where influencers as news sources have really matured into a place where campaigns have real outreach programs and treat them almost like segments of the media,” said Tammy Gordon, a digital communications strategist. “And that’s one of the really neat things about the evolution of political advertising. Plus, the scary thing is that you can so finely slice and dice the electorate that you’re feeding different messages in different places.”
In his appearance with Trump, Ross toned down his normally provocative persona and swapped out his normal discussion topics of video games, sports and women for Trump’s foreign policy and immigration talking points.
Ross gifted Trump a Rolex watch and then walked with him to sit inside a Tesla Cybertruck decaled with a picture of the former president’s face after the July assassination attempt at a rally, along with images of a bald eagle and an American flag. Then the two danced outside the truck.
Ross is an internet personality who gained prominence in 2020 by livestreaming video games with now-professional basketball player Bronny James, son of NBA legend LeBron James, and later appearing with rappers like Lil Uzi Vert. He became known for making provocative comments about sexuality and women on his livestreams.
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Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
24 comments
Day 38
August 31, 2024 at 2:27 pm
Sign me up. We must defeat Kammy.
rick whitaker
August 31, 2024 at 2:34 pm
PEACHY THE MARK, you may be young and conservative, but influencer, i think not. you constantly give yourself way too much credit, others laugh at you. that’s not mean, angry, or untrue, just factual.
Day 38
August 31, 2024 at 2:39 pm
I figured you would take the bait. You are way too easy Tennessee Joy.🤣
rick whitaker
August 31, 2024 at 2:50 pm
PEACHY MARK, you’re the mark, not me. bait, what a pathetic joke. just because you are playing crazy mind games, don’t mean others are. thinking that is called paranoia.
Day 38
August 31, 2024 at 2:55 pm
See. You ain’t as smart as you think you are. About the same brain power as Kammy. A dim bulb.🤣
rick whitaker
August 31, 2024 at 4:38 pm
PEACHY THE EASY MARK, i don’t claim to be smart, that would be stupid. i do wish i was as smart as kamala harris or tim walz. since you are a maga cultist, i have no ideas about you. you say you have a job and don’t live in your mamas basement, but i have no idea either way. you are not honest, so you don’t concern me.
A Day without MAGA
September 1, 2024 at 1:17 pm
Google Kroger Price Goughing
Yrral
September 1, 2024 at 1:11 pm
You cannot fight yourself out of a wet paper bag, woman hater
ScienceBLVR
August 31, 2024 at 2:29 pm
Ross gifted Trump a Rolex watch and then walked with him to sit inside a Tesla Cybertruck decaled with a picture of the former president’s face after the July assassination attempt at a rally, along with images of a bald eagle and an American flag. Then the two danced outside the truck.
Ok… if this is what appeals to today’s youth, we are in more trouble than I thought. One question though, does Trump appear to be jerking two guys while he’s dancing? Different strokes for different folks, I guess..
Michael K
August 31, 2024 at 3:35 pm
Most of the young people I know are repulsed by racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and misogyny—just sayin’.
Day 38
August 31, 2024 at 4:33 pm
Okay. So what is your point then? That’s a broad brush you are using.
rick whitaker
August 31, 2024 at 4:42 pm
PEACHY THE EASYMARK, the point he was making is that trump is turning young voters off. it may be a broad brush but data backs it up. good people are just not into trump. angry, fearful, greedy , haters, they love trump.
Day 38
August 31, 2024 at 5:14 pm
Earth to Joy. It’s 50-50 right now. She might win. She might not win. Basic math.
rick whitaker
August 31, 2024 at 5:37 pm
PEACHY THE EASY MARK, being the easy mark, you will fall for anything. people flat don’t want a convicted felon running this country into the ground. the polls may not reflect that. peachy, don’t take any wooden nickels.
Day 38
August 31, 2024 at 8:26 pm
Well Dick, I mean Rick half the country supports your girl Kammy. That half supports her because she is not Trump. That’s it. We don’t know what she stands for though. She flip flops on everything. Oh and she is telling lies too. Now she claims she has never been against fracking. An outright lie.
The other half of the country is fine with Trump. I and many others would prefer a different candidate but it is what it is. Under Trump we had a secure Southern Border. Houthi’s were not taking shots at USN ships. Inflation was less than 9%. I paid nearly $2.00 for a gallon of fuel. Look at the price of all consumables, home prices, loan rates. Kammy said Bidenomics is working. Ha! Ha! Then we have the crime situation, defunding the police. I could go on and on what has been wrong with the most inept and incompetent administration in a lifetime. To finish this off we get the highly anticipated interview with Kammy. She had to br8ng her emotional support person with her. 18 minutes! 18 minutes,of a pre recorded and edited sit down with Dana Bash. Bash showed her true colors. Maybe she is trying to get KJP’s job. Talk about a hack. Just look at the comparison of her interview with Vance to Ka Mana. I’m not going to change your vote and you will not change mine. It will be a very close election.
rick whitaker
August 31, 2024 at 9:59 pm
TRUMP’S MARK, fox news has rotted what brain you had. you know that trump is a liar and a fraud, but you are going to vote for him. i didn’t even mention crazy and old. how do you sleep at night? can you look yourself in the mirror? if you said yes, then you lack integrity. dude, take a break.
Day 38
September 1, 2024 at 6:45 am
Funny how you and others jump on the Trump is old bandwagon. Before the debate debacle in June, you an others said Biden was fine. I use to get criticized on this board for referring to Biden as “dementia Joe and Slo Joe”. That was quite a coverup there don’t you think? Now his breaking news from San Francisco. The 49ers first round draft pick was shot yesterday in a robbery attempt. Yup the home of not only Nancy Pelosi but that so called tough prosecutor Ka Mana, A once beautiful city is now a Democrat run dump. Smash and grabs are daily life there now. No wonder all the retailers are leaving.
rick whitaker
September 1, 2024 at 1:09 pm
PEACHY THE EASY MARK, you hated biden because he was old, so when voters rightfully consider the mental decline and age of trump, you are still going to vote for him. that makes you a hypocrite for sure. i think you have no validity at all, so go ahead and sign up to be a conservative influencer. you need to find another hobby. politics is too complicated for you. you are lost.
Yrral
September 1, 2024 at 1:14 pm
You have wet dreams about Trump,that are homo erotica in nature
rick whitaker
September 1, 2024 at 1:33 pm
YARRL, yes yarrl, i have also saw homosexual innuendo in peachy’s post’s. no wonder he’s so angry, he’s in the closet and is afraid to come out. just an observation, i have no real info because peachy is so protective of his or her identity i could care less if peachy is gay, because i am a progressive dem and that’s how we roll. to each his own..
Gregorabusmaximus
September 1, 2024 at 4:58 pm
You are more likely a trolling commie wannabe. You have no response to the very important comments about our financial conundrum, our stagflation that is the direct result of Bidenomics also known PirateBootynomics!
Tom
September 1, 2024 at 12:07 pm
Same here with my 20/30 year old nieces and nephews and they all plan on voting, just not for trump. They also don’t answer the phone unless they know the number so there’s no really polling data on them.
Michael
September 1, 2024 at 12:22 pm
In this age of caller ID, I don’t know anybody with a busy life that answers numbers they don’t recognize unless it also comes with the name of a recognizable business/person.
After all, the IRS always comes by mail and the FBI always comes to your door. I don’t worry about anybody else.
Ocean Joe
September 2, 2024 at 8:47 am
I dont think there’s any doubt young, single, white men like the ‘tough guy’ despite his make up, lifts, shoulder pads and bizarre comb over. Incels.
They like his selfishness and self centered bravado. Science Believer as a school teacher, surely you would see this. The arrested development, the maturity of a 14 years, the Beavis and Butthead mentality dove tails with Trump. They love a guy who wants to give the government a black eye, who’s all about grievance and hanging on to white male dominance of a browning country.
Sad thing is that we should all want economic prosperity and equality, and the record shows Republican policies favor the wealthy and damage everyone else. The Reagan mantra that a rising tide lifts all boats was a clever twist on supply side, trickle down voodoo economics. It doesnt work and never has.
Combine bad economics with all the anger and no wonder the country is so divided. Throw in isolationism and you have a perfect recipe for our long awaited decline he always talks about.
Trump inherited 7 years of economic growth. His failure of leadership during covid left us with more job losses than at any time since the Great Depression. If elected, he wants to control the Fed. What could possibly go wrong? I’d take a garden variety Democrat over that any time. Our economy is rebuilding and this guy will wreck it.
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