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The ‘Sleeper Agent’ Who Shaped Donald Trump’s Victory in the US Presidential Election
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The ‘Sleeper Agent’ Who Shaped Donald Trump’s Victory in the US Presidential Election

Following the US Election results, Barron Trump, the 18-year-old son of US President-elect Donald Trump, is thought to have played an important role in shaping his father’s campaign strategy, especially in attracting the attention of young male voters. Barron, who has largely stayed out of the political spotlight, has become a central figure in deciding which podcasts his father will appear on during the 2024 election campaign, according to media reports.

Barron Trump was only 10 years old when Donald Trump became the first president of the United States. Fast forward to the 2024 election, surrounded by middle-aged aides, and asked his youngest son for advice on this modern, youth-focused approach.

According to a 3,800-word report by Time’s Eric Cortellessa, Trump’s campaign chairman Susie Wiles instructed consultant Alex Bruesewitz to prepare a podcast list for the Republican candidate. But it was Barron who had the final say. When Bruesewitz offered his recommendations, Trump asked, “Have you discussed this with Barron?” he asked. Upon learning that Bruesewitz had not consulted Barron, Trump responded, “Call Barron and see what he thinks and let me know,” as detailed in the report.

Cortellessa also noted X He said Bruesewitz received approval to appear on the podcast after some effort to reach Barron, who has been largely kept out of the political spotlight by Melania Trump. This shift from traditional media to social media represented uncharted territory for Trump’s campaign, prompting him to rely on Barron and fellow influencer Bo Loudon to navigate the online world.

When asked about Barron’s role in his father’s strategy, Bo Loudon told journalist Piers Morgan: “He’s definitely playing games… In my age group, he knows who’s popular these days.”

According to the Times report, Barron told Bruesewitz that he particularly liked Adin Ross, a controversial figure who collaborates with celebrities on video game livestreams. Once they decided on Ross, Trump’s podcast strategy took off, and the Republican presidential candidate appeared on Ross’ podcast in August; this podcast went viral and garnered millions of views live.

According to The Independent, Adin Ross was given a gold Rolex and Tesla Cybertruck; It was reported that Barron and Bo were behind this move.

“They don’t grow up watching TV like we did,” Trump said in an interview with The Daily Mail in September, reflecting on the digital environment of young voters. “They grow up looking at the internet or watching computers, right?”

‘Trump Uses Steroids’

The aggressive social media strategy, which a Trump campaign advisor called “Trump on steroids” in a CNN interview, has proven successful: “Think Trump on steroids. All hands will be on deck.”

Trump has interacted with a wide variety of internet personalities, including YouTubers like Logan Paul, comedian Theo Von, podcaster Lex Fridman, the Nelk Boys, and political commentator Ben Shapiro. Most importantly, Trump appeared on the world’s most popular podcast, Joe Rogan’s show.

According to Politico, Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, praised Barron’s choices, calling them “absolute ratings gold that broke the internet” and emphasized that the campaign successfully appealed to younger audiences.

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For the First Time, More Than 50 Percent of Young Men Voted in favor of Trump, Thanks to his ‘Sleeper Agent’

Notably, for the first time, more than 50% of young men voted in its favor, and many expressed their belief that it would be better for their personal economy. Trump turned to Barron’s to connect with this demographic, ABC News reported. According to ABC’s report, Barron is being praised for helping Trump connect with what is known as the “manosphere.”

Lara Trump, in particular, recently acknowledged Barron’s influence, calling him the campaign’s “sleeper” agent. He recalled several instances during the campaign when Barron called his father to make suggestions about how he could improve his chances with voters. “There were many times throughout the campaign that my father-in-law was in the car and Barron called and said, ‘Dad, I have an idea how you can get more votes,'” he said. Quoted from the report.

Barron is said to have advised his father to conduct long, in-depth interviews with podcasters, debates with players, and engage with voters who consume content online rather than from traditional media outlets like CNN. This strategy has proven effective in reaching young voters, especially those in the “very online” community. This approach is comparable to Kamala Harris’s campaign, which focused largely on traditional interviews, with the exception of some podcast appearances, such as the Call Her Daddy podcast.

As the 2024 election progressed, Barron Trump’s influence appeared to have helped his father appeal to the “manosphere,” a term used to describe a subset of internet culture and online communities focused on men’s interests. As a result, the campaign’s focus on reaching younger, online voters helped Donald Trump perform strongly in this demographic.

UFC CEO and Trump ally as Donald Trump steps away from the microphone during a post-victory speech Veal White He even called out the influencers who helped boost Trump’s campaign, thus acknowledging the role Barron played and his youth-focused approach to the campaign.