By Svetlana Greidina
Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election shows how radically the political landscape in the US has changed. The so-called “bro vote” – young men under 30 who increasingly rely on alternative media and podcasts instead of trusting traditional media channels – played a decisive role in this.
Since the 1980s, women in the US have been more likely to vote than men. Young men in particular have been reluctant to do so, and getting them to the polls is no easy task. Both camps tried to win the support of this group, especially in the contested states. Kamala Harris relied on her experience as a district attorney, but by and large her campaign was more female-focused and reproductive rights-oriented. Democrats have traditionally been supported by Hollywood stars, global celebrities like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, and large corporations. By contrast, the Trump team focused on young men, many of whom have long been disaffected from traditional media outlets like newspapers, television, and radio. Trust in these channels has been declining for years, and comedy podcasts with popular hosts became Trump’s most loyal allies in the battle for votes.
Young men and a new political course
In the contest for the votes of men aged 18 to 29, Trump has achieved remarkable success. According to CIRCLE, 56% of young men voted for him in 2024 – a significant increase compared to 41% in 2020. This became a veritable phenomenon that the press dubbed the “Bro Vote”. Experts studying the American society were already cautiously talking about this shift. That, in the new age, young people, as paradoxical as it may sound, may feel like the losers.
Why is the “bro vote” so important for Trump? A more in-depth analysis reveals deep-rooted fears and expectations among these young voters. Young men are increasingly worried about their future. Rising costs of living, expensive rents, social instability – even the modest goals of past generations now seem almost unattainable. For example, 30 years ago it was possible to make ends meet with a job at McDonald’s and expect a solid office job after college. Today, however, it could turn out that the degree you have acquired has already been replaced by artificial intelligence or that your industry has been completely redesigned so that you now have to work at the checkout for the rest of your life. While the modern economy offers numerous opportunities to succeed, when you fail, you fail thoroughly.
Although these problems affect everyone, they weigh particularly heavily on young men from different educational, racial, and ethnic groups. Men of Generation Z are now almost twice as likely to remain single than their female peers. They are less likely to attend college and find difficult work than previous generations. Their path in life is characterized by economic insecurity and social isolation, which intensified particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic: many of them spent their formative years isolated and mostly online.
This insecurity and these experiences provided the ideal breeding ground for Trump’s simple but effective messages. His famous slogan “Make America Great Again” conveys a clear message: if America still needs to become great, then it is not great at the moment. Trump says quite directly: look where the current government has led the country. Thus, young people find themselves in the same social category as the traditional supporters of Trump and populist politicians in general. In the category of those who believe that the political mainstream lives on a different planet and speaks an incomprehensible language. For them, the existing system is fundamentally unfair and pushes everyone who doesn’t make it to the edge of society.
For Trump, it’s clear: the elites and mainstream media aren’t listening to the concerns and needs of many young people. They broadcast from the major television channels and speak in a way that nobody understands their words. That’s why he starts where young people will actually hear him.
Podcasts and alternative media as political power
Trump knew that this election was not about details or platforms. This election was a vote against the status quo. It didn’t matter that voters didn’t agree on the legality of abortion. What mattered was that voters agreed that Washington was full of people who didn’t care about them. Trump understood that he had to repeat this as often and as loudly as possible. He had to be the angry old man calling out the government, wallowing in its wealth. What may seem like utter madness in a campaign, these endless insults and mindless hate speech, proved to be an extremely successful election tactic under the current circumstances. What was intended to scare off voters was exactly what they were looking for.
So how does he reach this exact demographic? To mobilize his supporters, Trump forged ties with popular comedians, influencers, and tech billionaires like Elon Musk. Alternative media, including podcasts, became the main tools of his campaign. In contrast to traditional communication channels, media formats like Joe Rogan Experience and podcasts by Theo Von and Adin Ross attract a young and predominantly male audience. Through these platforms, Trump’s critical voice was heard. He took on the role of a “buddy” who understands the concerns of young men.
A crucial factor is audience trust. When a presidential candidate discusses personal issues such as drug use with popular podcaster Theo Von, an former MTV host, between endless insults of his opponent, the video reaches millions of views. His appearance on the podcast of Joe Rogan, whom Democrat Andrew Yang once called a “male version of Oprah,” was also a huge success. Trump spent three hours in Rogan’s studio talking about tax policy, martial arts and even life on Mars. Rogan, who sees himself more as an “interested layman” than as a professional journalist, has won the trust of his viewers because his way of thinking and presenting appeals to many young men. It is particularly noteworthy that a figure who remained politically neutral for a long time is now openly supporting Trump and exerting enormous influence as a result.
The turning away from traditional media
After these interviews, bloggers with millions of followers began calling for Trump’s election, including Adin Ross, a controversial streamer who was banned on Twitch for homophobic remarks. His support was so passionate that even Trump himself was surprised. Trump noted that many have interviewed him who “really like” him, but “they haven’t done what you did. They wouldn’t have said, ‘Vote for him.’ ‘I think it’s amazing that you can say that,’ he added.
Trump’s targeted media strategy in political communication is aimed at people who don’t watch ABC, Fox or CNN and consider influencers to be their idols. When Kamala Harris relies on celebrities like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, it doesn’t have the same effect. Studies show that pop stars’ recommendations have little impact on voting decisions and sometimes even have the opposite effect.
Harris’ appearance in a skit on Saturday Night Live doesn’t attract the attention of the “bros,” while an interview on Joe Rogan’s YouTube channel has over 49 million views. Harris’ team tried to replicate Trump’s successful performance, but missed the chance: after an invitation from Rogan, they announced that she couldn’t come to Austin and do an interview over an hour. Rogan wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he had honestly been looking forward to the conversation with Harris, but only on his terms. This case shows an interesting shift: no traditional media company could have set such conditions, but Rogan can apparently do so and takes the right to do so.
Liberal media outlets often characterized Trump’s strategy as risky, but as the election neared, they acknowledged its success. The playbook is simple: follow the narrative that politicians from the other party talk to everyone and anyone – journalists, each other, on Twitter – but not to America’s youth, and repeat it where the target audience will hear it. The fact that journalists at the New York Times are seriously discussing Harris’ mistake of missing an interview with an influencer shows how seriously traditional media now take the weight of figures like Rogan and how much alternative platforms are gaining dominance in political communication.
How the new media landscape is shaping the politics of the future
While media trust in traditional channels is declining, the importance of alternative platforms where young people feel understood and represented is increasing. Podcasters and influencers often speak in a language that is perceived as closer and more authentic because they communicate more informally and draw more on personal experiences. This closeness creates a trust that traditional media often lack due to their institutionalized structure. By appearing unfiltered and independent of traditional media rules, they also give young people the feeling that they are receiving “real” and unadulterated information. The influencers themselves often become role models – older “bros”, so to speak, with whom you want to identify and emulate. So when they provide a platform for Trump and support him, it has a meaning.
Trump’s systematic efforts to win over disaffected young men gave him a significant edge in the election. In an era when traditional media are losing their influence over young voters and alternative platforms are becoming key channels of political communication, Trump’s victory is a stark reminder of how much the new media landscape can shape voter mobilization and a country’s political course.
This article, “Bro Vote”: How podcasts and alternative media helped Trump win the election“, was originally published by the European Journalism Observatory on 18th November 2024.