Here’s something I didn’t have on my second Trump term bingo card: The president is carrying on a policy enacted by the Biden Administration. Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, announced that the White House will continue to make overtures to creators by granting them access to the Brady Press Briefing Room.
Leavitt wants creators of all stripes to apply for access to the Briefing Room. “We are encouraging anybody in this country: whether you are a TikTok content creator, a blogger, or a podcaster — if you are producing legitimate news content, no matter the medium, you will be allowed to apply for press credentials to this White House,” she said.
Trump’s Democratic predecessor invited influencers into the political process like never before. Select creators received presidential talking points at private pressers, the ill-fated Biden reelection campaign tried to drum up support on TikTok, and Biden even addressed creators directly at the inaugural White House Creator Economy Conference.
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Though the Dems increased their creator overtures to unprecedented levels — and pushed out some traditional voices in the process — Trump was the candidate who ultimately fared the best on social media. His collaborations with the young male podcasters who drive Gen Z interest helped him increase his performance among that demographic.
Early in his second term, Trump made it clear that he will have a greater presence on YouTube than he did during his first term (he may also try to save TikTok along the way, too.) Part of that growing social profile will involve more press access for creators. Leavitt said that the decision to credential new media voices is a response to the increasing amount of trust Americans invest in those sources. The new wave of political influencers is pushing out established political pundits across the board, and that surge has now arrived at the doors of the White House Briefing Room.
