How the race to become Donald Trump’s vice president has led to a gold rush for MAGA’s top influencers and a civil war over work for RFK Jr.
Publicly, candidates for former President Donald Trump’s running mate appear at fundraisers with the president as part of the audition process.
But behind the scenes, the race is a golden opportunity for online MAGA influencers, as several forces are arming top social advisors to shape their personas online.
It’s a gold rush in influence circles as multiple agencies promote different candidates but also hurt their opponents.
Stories like Kristi Noem shooting her dog were an obvious viral hit, but the intensity of the response raised suspicions about whether someone was setting the pump.
Vice presidential candidates receive extra attention on social media
Other negative discussions about possible vice presidential candidates like North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum surfaced online, prompting some top MAGA social media personalities to weigh in. Do people share this content themselves or does someone pay them?
It’s a balance that has already raised suspicions among people who follow prominent accounts and wonder whether something going viral is organic or whether a little extra money is trickling into the DMs to grease the skids.
Some top personalities have already publicly shared their outrage when approached by companies asking them what their ‘rates’ are. Others quietly accept a little money to share something they’re already interested in, and others raise their rates to new heights as their influence grows.
Additionally, leading Democratic companies have already fully implemented payment and influence platforms to help spread their message through social media platforms.
When Vivek Ramaswamy ended his campaign for president and endorsed former President Donald Trump, his deputy director of communications Zach Henry was courted by some of the top MAGA influencers in the industry after helping boost Ramaswamy’s campaign on social media to reinforce.
Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024
Zach Henry, former deputy director of communications for Vivek Ramaswamy
But instead of joining an existing company, Henry had the idea to start his own company, an influencing platform that could deliver big hits for clients, just like he did for Ramaswamy.
Henry’s company was new to the industry, but he was already having success acquiring clients interested in promoting their message on social media.
Other companies in the MAGA influencer space such as Urban Legend, a tech company that openly recruits influencers to get paid on its platform.
It’s a delicate process, but ‘play respects play’ at the public influencing companies and there is plenty of work for everyone.
Behind the scenes, however, the MAGA forces began waging their own campaign of opposition against one of their own, believing Henry had crossed the line.
Alex Bruesewitz (center) poses with President Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr.
Zach Henry started the social media influencer company Total Virality
The Washington Free Beacon published details of a Robert F. Kennedy FEC revelation that Henry’s Total Virality company had done work for his campaign.
Brueselitz began fanning the flames against Henry and every other company that did work for RFK.
“RFK JR PAID PAYING ‘RIGHT-WING INFLUENCER’ COMPANY IN A TRY TO FAT REPUBLICANS THAT HE IS ‘CONSERVATIVE,’ he wrote in all caps on . defends or promotes, it is safe to assume that they are paid by him.’
The message was reposted about an hour later by Donald Trump Jr.’s social media account, sending an alert to all MAGA personalities on social media.
“If you are a ‘right winger’ and accept money from RFK Jr to work against Trump and MAGA, we will not forget that,” he warned. “Saving your country is more important than a few dollars for a radical leftist.”
Hours later the Daily Caller published a leaked pitch deck from Henry’s company, showing his successful efforts to boost Kennedy’s State of the Union response video.
The document included screenshots of prominent MAGA personalities and people at the right people sharing the Kennedy video as evidence of Henry’s successful work on behalf of his client.
Prominent accounts on Henry’s pitch deck publicly distanced themselves from Henry.
“I have no idea who you are and have never spoken to you, and certainly never agreed to ‘influence’ your two-person firm, with or without compensation,” wrote Jenna Ellis, a former lawyer for President Trump and supporter of Gov. Ron DeSantis in public during the 2020 presidential primaries after directed against Hendrik.
Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis
“Believe me, Jenna, if you were involved, it was absolutely by accident. I only use A-list creators,” Henry replied.
When the news broke, MAGA influencers turned on Henry and denounced him as an apostate from the movement. He watched as his former friends and colleagues tried to destroy his company.
“I’m not surprised, but a little disappointed, yes,” Henry told DailyMail.com. “I’ve known most of these people for years.”
At one point, it wasn’t unusual for MAGA personalities to share RFK Jr. content, as the longtime Democrat was an acceptable presence on the campaign trail while he was thought to be a perfect spoiler for Biden.
Videos of a shirtless Kennedy exercising were widely shared by MAGA supporters as his physical prowess contrasted sharply with videos of a weak President Joe Biden. Kennedy’s positions on immigration and border security sparked interest, as did his condemnation of the administration’s role in dealing with the coronavirus.
Photos of Robert F. Kennedy working out were once widely shared by MAGA influencers, who were impressed by his vitality against President Biden.
Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump
But polls now show that Kennedy’s campaign could be a bigger problem for Trump, as his approval ratings are much higher among Republicans than Democrats.
When Kennedy’s name is included in a poll, Trump’s slim lead over Biden sinks even or a few points below the president’s.
Henry’s publicized work for the campaign was a perfect opportunity for MAGA personalities to make an example of him to other influential online messengers.
“No amount of money he spends paying influencers to promote him will erase that fact,” Bruesewitz told DailyMail.com. “Conservatives, especially MAGA Republicans, know that RFK is a far-left bastard who cannot be trusted.”
When MAGA started attacking Henry as an apostate, he was disappointed in the community.
“If you deviate even an inch from acceptable orthodoxy, it’s the electric chair!” He wrote on social media.
He admitted to DailyMail.com that he was surprised by the vitriol of some of the attacks.
“I try to build relationships with people who I believe have a similar outlook on life; friendships and relationships come first, business second,” he said. “But for some people, their outcome will always take precedence over everything else, which is sad, honestly.”
Ramaswamy, who still did some business with Henry, terminated his contracts with him as he tried to distance himself from the controversy.
“It is now CONFIRMED that RFK Jr. paid right-wing influencers to attack Trump and promote RFK,” Bruesewitz celebrated on X. “To be clear, Vivek Ramaswamy FIRED this employee.”
The blow-up reveals the delicate relationship MAGA influencers have with each other and what happens when someone steps outside their ideology.
Donald Trump Jr. used the moment to discredit all social media about Kennedy in the future.
“When you see so-called right-wing accounts, I’ve seen many, promoting RFK Jr, it’s safe to assume they’re being paid,” he said on his Triggered Podcast, calling it a “plot” against Trump. “He’s trying to make MAGA think he’s conservative, but don’t fall for that.”
A cornered and betrayed Henry appeared ready to throw some of his former colleagues under the bus after his name was spread all over the internet.
“Remember I didn’t open it,” he wrote in one message image of Pandora’s box.
