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Axios
2 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
MAGA-friendly "manosphere" turns heat on Trump over Epstein scandal
The MAGA backlash from the Jeffrey Epstein saga is spilling into a niche but influential corner of President Trump's coalition: the "manosphere." Why it matters: Anti-establishment comedians and podcasters like Joe Rogan, Theo Von and Andrew Schulz were widely credited with expanding Trump's support among young men in the 2024 election. Many hosted Trump or Vice President Vance on their shows and voiced support for populist themes, while generally steering clear of overtly partisan messaging. Their organic outrage over the administration's handling of the Epstein case marks a rare rupture — one that could threaten Trump's cultural foothold with Gen Z and millennial men. Driving the news: "There was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted," comedian Shane Gillis, popular among conservatives for his irreverent humor, deadpanned at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night. "Probably deleted itself, right? Probably never existed, actually. Let's move on as a country and ignore that." What they're saying: The revolt reached critical mass in recent days across a constellation of "manosphere" podcasts — a term that came to describe their guys-being-dudes energy in 2024. "Flagrant" host Andrew Schulz, whose last three podcast episodes have all been dominated by Epstein discourse, accused Trump of "insulting our intelligence" by claiming that the notorious sex trafficker had no "client list" or blackmail ring. A clip of Vance saying "we need to release the Epstein list" on comedian Theo Von's podcast last month has gone viral in recent days. Von himself reposted the video on X and wrote: "Yeah what changed?" Joe Rogan, who has one of the most popular podcasts in the world, joined the pile-on this week: "They can lie about all kinds of things. Where's the Epstein files? 'Oh, can't find them, don't exist.' Like, they can get away with sh*t, man." State of play: Nearly two weeks after the Justice Department released a memo announcing that the Epstein case would be closed, Trump's MAGA base is refusing to heed the president's calls to move on. A frustrated Trump is responding in increasingly personal terms, disavowing supporters who continue to focus on what he claims is a Democratic "hoax." "Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!" Trump posted Wednesay. Reality check: This isn't the first sign of manosphere unease with Trump. Some voices have questioned his immigration raids or criticized the bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities. But nothing has pierced the broader cultural conversation — or triggered as visceral a reaction — as the Epstein scandal. Between the lines: The manosphere is distinct from the core MAGA media ecosystem. While pro-Trump influencers like Charlie Kirk deliver explicitly partisan content, figures like Andrew Schulz and Joe Rogan have more wide-ranging and often light-hearted discussions. When they do discuss politics, it's largely through an anti-establishment lens.
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Joe Rogan Blasts The Trump Admin Over Epstein
Hot Topic 🔥 Full coverage and conversation on Politics Joe Rogan has condemned the Trump administration over its failure to release more files from its sex trafficking investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. The podcaster and comedian, who backed President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, was incredulous on Tuesday's episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast that the Justice Department and FBI reversed their position on the disgraced financier. Rogan joins a growing right-wing backlash after the departments announced they wouldn't be releasing any additional files about Epstein, concluding there was no evidence he kept a 'client list' to blackmail influential figures. But Rogan was anxious to call out how the Trump administration had previously insisted it was in possession of previously unseen compelling evidence. 'They've got videotape and all a sudden they don't,' Rogan said on his Tuesday show with guest and fellow podcaster Danny Jones. 'You had the director of the FBI on this show saying, 'If there was [a videotape], nothing you're looking for is on those tapes,'' referring to FBI Director Kash Patel 's interview with Rogan in June. During his appearance, Patel made clear there was no video evidence of people committing crimes on Epstein's private island. 'Why'd they say there was thousands of hours of tapes of people doing horrible shit? Why'd they say that? Didn't [Attorney General] Pam Bondi say that?' Rogan continued, referring to Bondi in May, saying the FBI was reviewing 'tens of thousands of videos' of the wealthy financier 'with children or child porn.' PowerfulJRE / Via Bondi had already fanned the flames in a Fox News interview in February when she suggested she had an Epstein client list on her desk. The White House has lately insisted Bondi was merely referring to the overall Epstein case files. Even so, Bondi had for weeks suggested more material was going to be revealed after a 'phase 1' document dump failed to tamp down the Epstein controversy. Of Patel's dismissal of the videotape on his show, Rogan reflected, 'Oh, OK. OK. I mean, what am I gonna do? I'm gonna push back?' The podcaster went on to suggest he isn't buying the administration's new position and even suggested that June's airstrikes on Iran were designed as a distraction. 'Just bomb Iran. Everybody forgets about it,' Rogan said. Another Trump-supporting podcaster and comedian, Andrew Schulz, has also called out the administration for covering up a 'global pedophile blackmail ring.' Both Rogan and Schulz — influential 'podcast bros' who are credited with helping sweep Trump back to power — have hit out at the president recently. Rogan earlier this month blasted Trump's 'insane' immigration crackdown amid a series of high-profile Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Meanwhile, Schulz last week said on his podcast, Flagrant, that Trump is ' doing the exact opposite of everything I voted for.' On Wednesday, Trump urged his supporters to move on from the Epstein furor, accusing them of falling prey to a 'hoax' and declaring that he doesn't 'want their support.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Voter Andrew Schulz Can't Believe Trump Isn't Doing What He Campaigned On
Andrew Schulz, the controversial comedian and podcaster who proudly voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, has apparently been shocked to learn that Donald Trump is not doing the things he promised to do. As if there weren't a bounty of evidence out there already that this exactly what was going to happen. On a recent episode of his Flagrant podcast, Schulz grumbled, 'Everything he campaigned on I believe he wanted to do, and now he's doing the exact opposite thing of every single fucking thing.' (Who could have possibly seen that coming?) Schulz went on to say that he's been receiving DMs from people telling him, 'You voted for this.' Schulz, though, insists he 'voted for none of this,' even though he actively voted for Trump, an extremely well-known political quantity at this point with a habit of saying things that will get him elected, but not actually doing them. 'He's doing the exact opposite of everything I voted for,' Schulz complained. 'I want him to stop the wars — he's funding them. I want him to shrink spending, reduce the budget — he's increasing it. It's like everything that he said he's going to do — except sending immigrants back, and now he's even flip-flopped on that, which I kind of like.' (Again, who could have possibly seen all that coming?) Chief among Schulz's problems — and the main focus of the episode on which he aired these grievances — was Trump's flip-flop on his promise to release more info about Jeffrey Epstein. Earlier this week, Justice Department officials released a memo saying investigators had concluded that Epstein never had a 'client list' used to blackmail celebrities and political elites, inflaming certain MAGA factions who've been clamoring for more documents. On top of all that, when asked about the Epstein case at a recent press conference, Trump dismissed the notion that people are still interested in the case. After playing that press conference clip on Flagrant, Schulz gravely said, 'In all seriousness, that is what is enraging people right now. It's insulting our intelligence.' Yup, congrats, Andrew, you've finally figured out how Trump operates and how he perceives even some of his most slavish and devoted followers. So, once more with feeling: Who could have possibly seen that coming? More from Rolling Stone 'I Made Every Single' Decision: Biden Fires Back at Trump Over Clemency Autopen Use Senate Report on Trump Assassination Attempt Lists 'Preventable Failures' by Secret Service Trump Said 'Alligator Alcatraz' Would Hold 'Menacing Migrants.' Most Don't Have Criminal Convictions Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Young Trump Voters Key to His 2024 Success Are Now Abandoning Him, New Poll Suggests
Young male voters helped amplify President Donald Trump's campaign during the 2024 election. But now, they may be turning against him, according to a new poll. Trump's approval rating among male voters under 35 is slipping, falling from 44% in February to 40% this month, according to a poll by CNN . In turn, disapproval ratings among the age group are up from 54% to 60%. Among the aspects of the Trump administration that young male voters are upset with is the handling of the files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Department of Justice and FBI's July 6 memo in which they declared that Epstein had killed himself and had "no client list" has drawn backlash from both sides of the political spectrum. According to the poll, 65% of young male voters are unhappy with how the Epstein case has been handled, compared to just 10% of the same age group supporting it. Trump made his rounds on podcasts with heavy young-male audiences during his campaign, including appearances on "The Joe Rogan Experience" and Andrew Schulz's "Flagrant." But since Trump took office, the hosts of those podcasts have spoken out against his administration. Rogan and Schulz have both since bashed how the Epstein files were handled. Schulz declared Trump was "insulting our intelligence" after he railed against a reporter for asking about Epstein. Meanwhile, Rogan suggested that the president bombed Iran with hopes that Americans would forget about the Epstein files. As the Trump administration continues to push on amid the backlash, some Democratic lawmakers have begun hammering home on the issue, advocating for the release of the files. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been a proponent of this, questioning if the administration was "hiding" anything. Originally published on Latin Times
Egypt Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Egypt Independent
Why Donald Trump is facing doubts in the ‘manosphere'
Detroit CNN — Justin Centers fits the profile of many younger men who Justin Centers fits the profile of many younger men who helped power Donald Trump's political comeback last fall. He's a 21-year-old autoworker from the Detroit suburbs and was newly eligible to vote in presidential elections — a cross-section of traits Trump aggressively targeted in his bid to reclaim battlegrounds like Michigan. He's also a longtime fan of Theo Von, the shaggy-haired, free-wheeling comedian and podcast host whose viral interview with Trump last August signaled an emerging political shift among millennial and Gen Z men. Centers ultimately voted for Trump, and Von had a VIP seat at the inauguration. But in recent months, Von has expressed growing dissatisfaction with Trump's second stint in the White House — sentiments that were echoed by Centers outside Detroit's Fox Theatre as he waited to catch Von's stand-up tour. 'Completely being honest, I'm a little iffy now,' Centers said of the president. 'One of the things I primarily voted for was 'No new wars,' and unfortunately, that has been a big lie to my face. So, it's extremely disappointing to see that.' After losing men under 50 by double digits in 2020, Trump's campaign made a concerted push to reverse that trend. His outreach included appearances on podcasts and YouTube shows hosted by a growing universe of male comedians, pranksters, streamers and other right-leaning influencers who had cultivated large, loyal followings. The approach paid off and has already spawned copycats in both parties. Lately some of the most influential voices within the so-called manosphere have begun expressing concerns, if not outright regret, with Trump's return to Washington. Joe Rogan, who interviewed Trump on his top-rated podcast last October before endorsing him, recently called the new administration's immigration crackdown 'insane.' Von criticized Trump's bombing of Iran as a 'horrible idea,' saying it made the US look like it's 'working for Israel.' Billionaire X owner Elon Musk, once a prominent Trump ally and a key figure in reshaping the online media ecosystem, is now publicly warring with the president over the cost of his legislative agenda and promising to bankroll a third party. And comedian Andrew Schulz, a Trump supporter last year, told listeners of his 'Flagrant' podcast that the president was 'doing the exact opposite of everything I voted for.' Even unexpected corners of the manosphere have begun to show signs of revolt. Professional poker players, for example, have lashed out at Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' for changes in tax law that will require them to pay the government even when they lose money. 'You just really start to feel very disillusioned pretty quickly,' Von said in a recent podcast. Theo Von performs during Clusterfest in San Francisco on June 2, 2018. FilmMagic/Getty Images Warning signs At Von's recent Detroit show, Carhartt logos, camo and mullets mixed easily with A-frame hats, golf polos and tins of nicotine pouches. Plumes of vape periodically hovered over the audience. The crowd's overwhelmingly White complexion was a reoccurring source of material for the comedian. During a rollicking 90-minute set, Von didn't directly broach politics or Trump. But the conflicting feelings he has shared on his podcast were voiced by his fans, too. Steven Deuby, a 34-year-old mail carrier from Wayne County, scoffed at the price tag of Trump's massive tax cuts and spending package. 'Five trillion dollars? That's insane,' he said. But Deuby, an Army veteran, said he backed Trump's military moves to date and remained supportive of the president overall. 'There's stuff to criticize about Trump, but for the most part, I think he's doing much more important (stuff) than Joe Biden,' Deuby said. Walking up to the Fox Theatre in a Von T-shirt, Tyler Goldsmith said he understood the complaints from Von and others, but would give Trump the benefit of the doubt for now. 'When you go into your first year, you're not going to do what everybody wanted you to at the beginning, because there are going to be things that you have to retract on, that you have to take care of,' Goldsmith, a 32-year-old lawn-care business owner from Constantine in southwest Michigan. Polls midway through Trump's first year back in office suggest growing disapproval with his administration — and there are signs the shift is hitting these younger voters, too. A new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds that among men younger than 35, 40% approve of the way Trump is handling his job now and 60% disapprove, significantly worse than Trump's ratings with older men. In February, 44% of men under 35 approved and 54% disapproved. But whether this disenchantment presents trouble for Republicans or creates an opening for Democrats remains to be seen. While the concerns that are animating Von and other online influencers may produce compelling podcast content, they are less likely to dictate how young men vote in future elections, said David Winston, a veteran Republican pollster. Economic factors like wages and inflation weighed heavily on the minds of many voters last fall and likely will moving forward, he said. 'When a voter has just gone a different direction, they're the ones that can go back the other way. They just made a decision and now they're going to see if that worked or it didn't work,' Winston said. 'The idea that they could bounce back to Democrats is certainly very possible. Having said that, they left for a reason.' Centers, for his part, voiced frustrations on several fronts. He's a recent Tesla owner concerned Trump's vendetta against electric vehicles will ultimately hurt his purchase. He's also an expecting father who is worried about having a family in an economic environment he doesn't believe is improving. Still, Centers said he was unlikely to change to vote Democrat. 'A lot of stuff I identify with falls along the conservative agenda,' he said. Anger over Epstein White House advisers have long held concerns that many voters who helped elect Trump in November — including young men — are at risk of skipping a midterm election when he isn't on the ballot. Motivating those voters has been a top priority for Trump's political team as it seeks to maintain control of Congress. Mark Mitchell, the top pollster for the conservative-leaning Rasmussen Reports, has publicly warned that the Trump's coalition could be fractured by his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, a longtime fixation for Rogan and other right-leaning podcasters favored by men. The Department of Justice concluded last week the accused sex trafficker killed himself in prison and did not keep a list of elite and high-profile clients, sparking outrage from MAGA conspiracists who had long been told otherwise by many in Trump's orbit. The CNN poll found 65 percent of men younger than 35 are dissatisfied with the amount of information the federal government has released about the Epstein case, while just 10% are satisfied. That's higher than the share of dissatisfied among the general population. 'What is enraging people right now is it's insulting our intelligence,' Schulz said on his podcast last week. On Saturday, Trump urged his supporters to move on from their Epstein outrage in a lengthy social media post — a message that landed poorly among some of Von's fans. 'You said you were going to show us (the Epstein files), now you're just being the very thing you said you were going to end,' said Ben, a chemical worker from Battle Creek, Michigan, who asked CNN not to use his last name. 'Not as transparent as what I thought.' He said Trump's posture on Epstein was the final straw. If he could go back, 'maybe I just wouldn't vote,' he said. Democrats wade in Amid the discontent, Democrats have sought to make inroads into the manosphere. Former Transportation Secretary and potential 2028 contender Pete Buttigieg appeared earlier this year on 'Flagrant.' Multiple outlets reported that Rogan recently interviewed Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a rising Democratic star considering a Senate bid. Von recently spoke at length with Rep. Ro Khanna, the progressive Democrat from California, and revealed he planned to chat with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2024, before a scheduling conflict postponed their conversation. (He also released an episode with Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican whom Trump has threatened to help defeat.) Schulz recently suggested democratic socialists like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders appear to be prioritizing America more than Trump. 'If MAGA wants to take this 'America First' thing back, they got to start looking out for America,' he said. Giving airtime to politicians across the spectrum isn't just a pivot from the Trump-centric content of the previous election cycle. Many of the most prominent male influencers dub themselves as independent thinkers unbeholden to either party. Regardless, Nathan Sheldon, a 35-year-old from Northville, Michigan, sporting a 'Don't Tread on Comedy' shirt at Von's show, told CNN he appreciated hearing from Democrats in full, unfiltered interviews. 'Them going on to platforms like Schulz and Rogan, I can finally hear some ideas,' Sheldon said. 'They're starting to stand out.' CNN's Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.
