Duke Chastaine

“Influencers” used to be a genuine asset for the Republican Party. Most promoted candidates and policies organically, as a side interest rather than a career. When paid promotions happened, the amounts were modest and the content stayed aligned with the party’s agenda. Most of these people had full-time jobs outside politics. That has changed. Over the last few years, large amounts of money, from special interests and foreign sources, have flooded the space. Influencing has become a full-time profession for many, and loyalty has shifted from the agenda to whoever is writing the check. A clear example is this campaign against President Trump’s tariffs on India. Accounts that built their audiences by aligning with the MAGA movement quickly turned against a core policy of that movement. The most plausible explanation is that they were paid to do so by interests lobbying for India. This pattern isn’t isolated. We’ve seen right-wing influencers attack Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the MAHA movement for criticizing soda companies. We’ve seen influencers who long opposed the Ukraine war reverse course and call for the U.S. to send Patriot missiles to Zelensky. The list of such reversals keeps growing. I used to help identify deals for influencers and know this industry well. I never accepted money from foreign governments or companies, or from any domestic interest that opposed the movement I supported. Too many others were willing to sell out. Nearly a year ago I concluded that the industry had gotten out of hand. Since then I’ve been using what I know to work with lawmakers on both sides and with government officials to strengthen disclosure requirements for paid political content. I’m not trying to put influencers out of business, but paid digital advocacy is modern-day lobbying, and it should require disclosure. If you’re paid to promote protein bars, you have to label it a paid partnership. If you’re paid to support or oppose a political issue, no disclosure is currently required. That double standard needs to end.