Sage Steele Espn

---

MMA

MAGA media’s rising influence with the Trump administration

Written by Gideon Taaffe & Jack Winstanley

Research contributions from Kayla Gogarty & Jack Wheatley

:{Published 02/26/25

President Donald Trump has been openly courting MAGA media figures — giving them significant access to his new administration and even appointing former Fox News hosts to prominent positions in the government.

The Trump administration has simultaneously welcomed MAGA influencers into the White House, Cabinet departments, and other federal agencies while restricting access of mainstream media that have long covered those institutions. Many of these right-wing media figures have previously spread outright misinformation and hateful conspiracy theories — and now some of them appear to be giving policy cues to the new administration.

The Trump White House has become increasingly hostile to mainstream media as it favors right-wing influencers}:

• • Trump terminated The Associated Press’ access “in the Oval Office, on Air Force One and at other White House events” because the outlet refused to update its style guidelines after he changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” Politico reported, “President Donald Trump personally decided to bar The Associated Press from some White House events and spaces, the White House said in court documents Monday.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on February 25 that the White House will now directly control which outlets are in the press pool, a task historically managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association. Politico, [2/24/25; The Hill, 2/25/25]

• • The Pentagon announced that NBC, The New York Times, NPR, and Politico will “rotate out of the building” to make space for the New York Post, One America News Network, Breitbart, and others. The switch is the first iteration of the Pentagon’s new “Annual Media Rotation Program,” which The Washington Post reports “will swap news outlets from print, TV, radio and online news for other organizations that have not had the opportunity to report from the office space, according to the memo.” The Washington Post, [2/1/25; The Daily Beast, 1/31/25]

• • The White House began using the “new media” seat at the White House press briefings to let in far right-wing voices. The “new media” seat was established to “welcome independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, and content creators” to the White House. White House, [1/29/25; Columbia Journalism Review, 2/19/25]

• • Trump’s first administration fostered a feedback loop between the White House and Fox News. The first Trump administration regularly relied on Fox News talking points and hired at least 20 former Fox employees. This feedback loop seems primed to continue in his second term, with Fox News recently hiring the president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to host a weekly show. Media Matters, [11/19/24; MSNBC, 2/6/25]

• • Trump has already appointed many members of right-wing media to high-level positions in his second administration. These appointments include former Fox News personalities Pete Hegseth, Sean Duffy, and Tulsi Gabbard as Cabinet secretaries. Other Fox News personalities like Leo Terrell and Dan Bongino have similarly been appointed to high-level positions. Trump has also included more fringe members of right-wing media like Darren Beattie and Kash Patel. Media Matters, [11/14/24, 1/17/25, 2/24/25, 1/28/25; CNN, 2/12/25; CBS News, 1/28/25; Reuters, 2/4/25]

• ## MAGA media figures have been given extensive access to the administration

• • Real America’s Voice correspondent Ben Bergquam, Fox News’ Bill Melugin, and conservative personality Dr. Phil (real name Phil McGraw) have all participated in ride-alongs for ICE raids or Border Patrol activities. In one video posted by Dr. Phil, he can be seen standing alongside Trump “border czar” Tom Homan and questioning a detained individual about his background and immigration status. YouTube,[; Fox News, 1/23/25; People magazine, 1/31/25]

• • White House press briefings have welcomed various MAGA media figures and influencers — some of whom have occupied the “new media” seat. According to Media Matters’ internal data, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski, Breitbart’s Matthew Boyle, Real America's Voice’s Brian Glenn, The Gateway Pundit’s Jordan Conradson, and conservative podcasters Sage Steele and the hosts of the Ruthless Podcast have all appeared at the White House briefings. Other attendees have included OAN’s Daniel Baldwin, Newsmax’s James Rosen, Turning Point USA’s Monica Paige Luisi, and The Daily Caller’s Reagan Reese. Instagram, [2/12/25; WhiteHouse.gov, 1/29/25]

• • Pavlovski also visited the Federal Communications Commission and met with Chairman Brendan Carr, who said, “His commitment to free speech and diversity of viewpoints serves as a terrific model for all business.” Twitter/X, [2/12/25]

• • Conservative radio hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton were invited to broadcast their show from the Pentagon. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell had previously been interviewed on Travis and Sexton’s show and stated: “You all are welcome anytime in the Pentagon press room, or if you want to broadcast from the Pentagon, we will figure out a way to make that [happen].” Axios, [2/18/25]

• • Conservative streamer Benny Johnson posted an image with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, promising that “video soon will blow your mind” and proclaiming his visit was a “Front Seat to the Golden Era.” Johnson additionally stated that Zeldin “has got some amazing things going on at The EPA. Can’t believe how much I enjoyed my time in the building today.” Twitter/X, [2/19/25]

• • Former Fox Nation host Lara Logan, who has a history of pushing conspiracy theories, reportedly joined a formal State Department listening session about international aid. NPR reported: “She spoke for about five minutes — longer than other participants, according to five people who attended the event. … They say Logan charged that foreign aid programs were rife with corruption and demanded accountability. According to three attendees, Logan repeatedly invoked the idea that crimes had been committed and called for imprisonment of those involved. Logan said in Texas, where she lives, the middle class had been hollowed out, and money used for foreign aid instead should go to support those families.” NPR, [2/20/25; Media Matters, 3/18/22]

• • On January 28, Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk posted an image of himself sitting alongside Vice President JD Vance on a plane, writing, “Thanks for the ride Mr. Vice President!”Kirk also joined Donald Trump Jr. on his trip to Greenland ahead of his father’s inauguration, posting a picture of himself alongside the president’s son on January 7. Twitter/X, [1/28/25; The Independent, 1/7/25]

• • Right-wing pundit Jack Posobiec, who previously promoted the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, was invited to participate in Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s first official trip to Europe. Posobiec has also shared a video of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Ukraine, posted an image of himself in a conference room in front of U.S. and Ukrainian flags, and claimed to be present for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Washington Post, [2/13/25; NPR, 2/21/25; Instagram, 2/13/25; Media Matters, 11/14/18]

• • The Trump administration invited Dom Lucre, who has pushed conspiracy theories and misinformation, to attend a February 20 White House reception in honor of Black History Month. Lucre posted a video from the event with the caption: “President Trump has hundreds of Black conservatives at the White House to celebrate Black History month. The White House is currently filled with laughter, hope, and happiness.” Lucre previously made headlines when his X account was banned and then unbanned after posting imagery depicting child sexual abuse. Twitter/X, [2/15/25, 2/20/25; Forbes, 7/7/23]

• • Former ESPN reporter Sage Steele, who now has a right-leaning podcast, was also invited to the White House for the Black History Month reception. Steele was pulled “off the air at ESPN after she called vaccine mandates ‘sick’ and ‘scary’ and questioned why former President Barack Obama identifies as Black even though he was raised by his white mother.” Failed Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker also reportedly attended the February 20 White House event. The Associated Press, [2/21/25; NPR, 10/6/21]

• ## MAGA voices — including some who have spread extreme conspiracy theories — are seemingly influencing the administration’s policies

• • Far-right activist and self-proclaimed “proud Islamophobe” Laura Loomer claimed Trump “took her advice” before calling for the United States to “take back” the Panama Canal. On February 7, Loomer claimed that Trump “actually called me one day, during the last election season, and was asking me about the Darién Gap, and he was asking me about my videos and my trip to Panama.” She noted that she urged Trump to “make it a policy position to take back the Panama Canal.” Media Matters, [2/11/25]

• • The official U.S. Army account on X shared a post from far-right account “Libs of TikTok” and replied: “This is an old memo. DEI is dead at #USArmy.” In another post, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth replied directly to Libs of TikTok to say he was addressing the account’s concerns that an Air Force medical form “is asking for s*xual orientation, gender identity, and pronouns.” Libs of TikTok has repeatedly spread anti-LGBTQ hate and has supported the white nationalist “great replacement” conspiracy theory. Twitter/X, [2/14/25, 2/24/25; Media Matters, 3/15/24]

• • Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association founder Richard Mack and online influencer Ann Vandersteel, who have both peddled conspiracy theories, claimed to have had direct communications with Trump “border czar” Tom Homan about mass deportations following the 2024 election.Vandersteel said she's had “private conversations” with Homan and Mack said he's “had several conversations” with Homan about mass deportations. Media Matters, [12/4/24, 12/10/24]

• • Health misinformer Christiane Northrup said she was “working with people who are working in” the Department of Health and Human Services with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Northup has claimed COVID-19 “was part of a plot involving Deep State brainwashing and treacherous depopulation schemes,” “called the Centers for Disease Control a ‘covid death cult,’ and described the [COVID-19] vaccines as crimes against humanity.” Other anti-vaccine figures have also claimed to be “working with,” consulting, or sending recommendations about public health policy to Trump’s advisers. Media Matters, [2/4/25]

• • In July 2023, MAGA podcaster Dan Bongino said, “I'm going to ask President Trump personally to be the FBI director to fire all of you,” claiming the bureau had worked to cover up alleged crimes by the Biden family; Trump has now appointed him to be the deputy FBI director. Accusing the bureau of being “totally, completely corrupt,” Bongino added, “I'm going to say can I be the FBI director just to fire everyone who knew about this, everyone, and didn't have the balls to say something?” Rumble, *The Dan Bongino Show*, [7/21/23; Politico, 2/23/25]

---