How campaigns are using digital influencers to win voters
6/16/202623 min
Campaigns are increasingly hoping to win over voters by tapping into digital influencers’ large followings. We discuss what the strategy looks like and whether online followers can be reliably converted into votes.
This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political reporter Elena Moore, and White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben.
This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs and edited by Rachel Baye.
Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsIra Glass0:00
This is Ira Glass. On This American Life, one thing we like is a good mystery, sometimes about really big things, but most times the little mysteries are the best Our lost and found is currently filled with pants.
Speaker 20:12
I don't know w- I, I, I've never seen this happen.
Danielle Kurtzleben· Panelist0:15
Wait, this is true?
Speaker 20:16
This is true.
Ira Glass0:17
Mysteries of every size each week, This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts.
Miles Parks· Host0:23
[upbeat music] Hey there. It's the NPR Politics Podcast. I'm Miles Parks. I cover voting.
Elena Moore· Panelist0:32
I'm Elena Moore. I cover politics.
Danielle Kurtzleben· Panelist0:34
And I'm Danielle Kurtzleben. I cover the White House.
Miles Parks· Host0:37
And today on the show, internet influencers. They played a big role in Donald Trump's win in 2024. People are more online than ever before, but campaigns are still figuring out how these content creators fit into our politics. So Elena, let's start with the basics. How are candidates in 2026 working with political influencers?
Elena Moore· Panelist0:58
Yeah, well, I think first of all, like, influencers is kind of an umbrella term just for people who have built brands on the internet. The goal of a politician is to connect with a so-called influencer, and then they can reach that influencer's audience and an audience potentially that a politician didn't have. And so we're seeing lots of different kinda ways that candidates hope to achieve that goal, I would say. Trump is a great example in the past of going on non-traditional media and, and collaborating with social