The stars of the manosphere who helped mobilize young men for Donald Trump in 2024 are losing their luster with this same audience.
Why it’s important: Trump and the Republicans rode a wave of cultural cachet to reach young male voters. Now the president and some of his most influential online allies are showing signs of losing their grip on that audience as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
Driving the news: A new poll from the Democratic Speaking With American Men Project suggests that some of the 2024 Trump campaign’s most important influencers have lost their luster with young male voters, according to Puck News,
- Joe Rogan’s favorable rating among young men fell 11 points, while Elon Musk’s popularity fell 14 points and Tucker Carlson lost 12 points.
- Andrew Tate, who was arrested on sex trafficking and rape charges, had “a net approval rating of -30,” according to Puck.
Between the lines: Economic pressures and the war in Iran have become major concerns for young men as the midterms approach, Puck reported.
- These questions have caused tension between Trump and the influential voices who supported his last campaign.
State of play: Young men are attacking politicians, podcasters and influencers, many of whom may have influenced recent political outcomes. They become more skeptical and turn their backs on politicians, especially Trump.
- Cygnal’s 2026 Young American Men Survey also found that among American men ages 18 to 30, Trump, Vance and the Republican Party were all viewed unfavorably.
- Trump’s numbers among young voters have fallen precipitously. A national poll from Marquette Law School shows that Trump’s approval fell from 40% in January 2025 to 19% in April 2026, before rebounding to 28% in June. Since then, the law school has not investigated the matter.
Yes, but: Young men aren’t particularly enthusiastic about Democrats, either.
- Former President Barack Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani were the only Democrats to show an increase in favorable ratings, according to Puck.
Context: Several prominent figures in the manosphere have criticized Trump during his second term, notably over the war in Iran and the release of the Epstein files.
- Rogan, like many MAGA influencers, has criticized the war and the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein cases.
- Tucker Carlson has chastised Trump on many issues, including his partnership with Israel in the war.
- Vice President Vance even admitted that the White House had “messed up” in its communications on the Epstein files.
Reality check: Researchers wonder how much influence podcasters and personalities really had in 2024.
- A September working paper from the NYU Center for Social Media, AI and Politics found that exposure to podcasts was not necessarily driving Trump’s gains among young men.
- The researchers, who examined 36,659 podcast episodes dating back to 2024 as well as two survey datasets, found that podcasts explained only a small part of the growing youth gender gap.
The other side: Influencers still have enormous influence among young voters.
- A Morning Consult survey released Oct. 16 found that nearly two-thirds of Gen Z adults say they receive news from creators, while 62% trust creator recommendations.
- Business Insider reports that one in four American adults believe influencer content has affected their voting decisions.
- Another Marquette poll found that 54% of adults who consumed political news podcasts approved of Trump’s job performance in June, compared with 38% of adults overall.
The bottom line: The biggest figures in the manosphere still have influence, but the country’s leadership isn’t helping them — or Trump — with young men.
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