The crowd of supporters at Mar-a-Lago was a sea of red “Make America Great Again” caps illuminated by flashing cameras as President-elect Donald Trump walked on stage to deliver his remarks to the country.
Then, the president-elect did something unusual: He devoted around five minutes of his speech to discussing his close relationship with UFC star Dana White. Afterward, Trump gave White the microphone to thank the influencers who endorsed his candidacy.
“I want to thank the Nelk Boys, Adin Ross, Theo Von, Bussin’ with the Boys,” he said. “And last but not least, the mighty and powerful Joe Rogan. And thank you, America.”
The Nelk Boys prank, vlog and promote their Happy Dad brand on the podcast “Full Send,” where they recently recorded an interview with Trump on his private jet. Ross is a Twitch personality known for his gaming, celebrity collaborations and chaotic livestreams, while Von hosts a comedy podcast, “This Past Weekend.” “Bussin’ with the Boys,” a podcast hosted by ex-NFL players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, combines sports talk with casual comedy. Joe Rogan hosts one of the most-listened-to podcasts in the world, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” where he delivers long-form interviews with high-profile guests and friends of the UFC star, including JD Vance and Trump.
Thanking internet personalities isn’t the norm in presidential victory speeches. Former President Barack Obama forwent celebrity references in his 2008 speech, choosing to highlight a 106-year-old woman who was born when women and Black people could not vote in presidential elections. In 2016, Trump focused on the importance of unity between Republicans and Democrats during his victory speech, reserving thank yous for his family and political advisors.
But from that stage in Florida, Trump seemed to recognize these celebrities’ unique role in securing his second presidency.
Several other notable celebrities have publicly backed candidates in the 2024 election, using social media, concerts and podcasts to share their endorsements. Pop megastars including Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé supported Harris, citing issues like reproductive rights and preserving democracy. Personalities like billionaire Elon Musk, former pro-wrestler Hulk Hogan and TikToker Bryce Hall endorsed Trump, emphasizing themes of strength and leadership.
Gen Z voters at USC have mixed feelings about the time, money, and energy spent on securing celebrity endorsements this election cycle.
“You know, at the end of the day, politics is about getting people to care, and if Taylor Swift endorsing Kamala Harris is what gets them to care, I’m all for it,” said Sara Xiao Stienecker, a senior studying political science and the president of the Trojan Democrats.
Stienecker registered as a Democrat at 16 in California and has voted blue ever since. She voted for Harris this November, and said having a mom who immigrated from China in the 90s shaped her political views. Growing up, she said she saw anti-immigration and anti-China rhetoric coming from the Republican Party, which solidified her stance as a Democrat.
Steinecker has worked on local, congressional and presidential races, including the Harris-Walz campaign, as a battleground states intern. Her involvement in politics, both in her career and on-campus with the Trojan Democrats, gave her insight into how young voters make their choices. Stienecker said that celebrity endorsements are a way of making politics palatable for young voters.
The data backs up her theory. A study done by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School showed that celebrities are positioned to empower everyday Americans, and this translates to voting.
“There’s a spotlight following them that hits whatever cause or candidate they decide to promote. It’s why politicians love celebrities,” said Shawn Sachs, a participant in the study and the CEO of communications firm Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis.
The study found the majority of low voter turnout is due to a lack of information about registration, deadlines, the power of political participation and how to vote — all of which are addressed by celebrities sharing actionable information on social media, such as registration links or polling locations.
Troy Nevil is a sophomore at USC majoring in political science. He is the chair of sustainability and campus infrastructure for Undergraduate Student Government and the communications director for Trojan Democrats.
“At the time of the Democratic National Convention, I thought that the endorsements would make a difference in the election because of the huge celebrities who began endorsing Harris, but looking back at it, a lot of these endorsements were just a headline that lasted a day or a week and then the impact they were supposed to have got lost in translation,” Nevil said.
Dakota Driemeyer is the president of the Trojan Republicans and a junior at USC majoring in law, history and culture. Driemeyer, previously undecided, said he chose to vote for Trump after the assassination attempt. However, he believes the campaign’s focus on celebrity endorsements captured other youth voters. He said he thought that the Trump campaign used popular social media platforms like TikTok in a more intimate way than the Democrats, citing clips of Sen. JD Vance on Rogan’s podcast.
Megan Duncan, an assistant professor of Journalism and Mass Communication at Virginia Tech University specializing in digital media, analyzed the election results using recent statistics. Her findings indicate that Trump strategically surrounded himself with figures who could serve his political objectives rather than aiming to appeal to the broader public. He leveraged their influence with a demographic he ultimately did much better with; Trump secured a 28-point margin among young white male voters and a 2-point margin among young Latino male voters, according to the AP VoteCast Survey.
“Trump was being very utilitarian about his connections as many may not have been seen as ‘popular’ people,” Duncan said. “His endorsers were essentially people who have been loyal to him and have loyal audiences whose vote was likely to be swayed by them producing a podcast episode supporting Trump and his policies.”
So, were influencers like Rogan and the Nelk Boys responsible for swaying young undecided voters? Conversations with Gen Z students at USC offer some insight.
Jillian Carlisle, a senior majoring in civil and environmental engineering, and Alex Palakian, a senior majoring in economics and data science, said they think celebrity endorsements for Harris might have done nothing or even damaged the campaign.
“The Democratic Party always gets more celebrity endorsements, and sometimes I feel like that hurts them because they can come off as elitist,” Palakian said.
After Taylor Swift’s online endorsement of Harris, Trump posted “I Hate Taylor Swift” on Truth Social. Supporters criticized the musician’s endorsement, with comments like “Taylor Swift is a billionaire. She’s not at the grocery store having to decide whether to feed her family or pay her mortgage” and “while she’s flying her private jets, you’re struggling to gas up your car and get to work.”
For voters like Carlisle, these endorsements have little sway.
“I already decided before I heard from the celebrity endorsements, and if anything the most they did was affirm my position since I was more concerned about each candidate’s policies rather than who was endorsing them,” Carlisle said.
Trump’s use of relatable internet personalities over superstars may have won him the election. On Jan. 20, Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, and everyone will be watching to see if any of the endorsing internet personalities are invited to the inaugural party.