Adin Ross called it the most important stream of his life. When the then-23-year-old online star went live with then-candidate Donald Trump amid the presidential campaign last August, it was a flashy mix of pop culture and politics that instantly divided viewers.
The 90-minute broadcast from Mar-a-Lago featured Ross asking Trump about world events in an effort to reach younger voters. The streamer even gifted Trump a Rolex and a customized Tesla Cybertruck which was a moment that helped cement his role in the campaign’s youth outreach strategy.
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Now, several of the podcasters who helped fuel that strategy — including Ross, Theo Von, Andrew Schulz and Joe Rogan — are speaking out, expressing regret or frustration with current events fueled by the Trump administration.
Ross, for one, says he’s learned the hard way that getting political changed how audiences see him. In a September stream, he asked his viewers which guests they’d want to see on a future stream. A few people mentioned high-profile names associated with politics, like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“As I’m getting older, I’m seeing… I don’t think I’ll ever care enough again for any other politician ever in the future,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’re all humans.”
It wasn’t the first time Ross spoke about the president since he took office.
“I love Trump but he did say no to wars and I don’t f—k with that,” Ross said this summer when streaming. “We need world peace.”
Schulz: ‘Exact opposite of what I voted for’
Comedian and podcaster Andrew Schulz, who hosted Trump on his “Flagrant” podcast during the 2024 campaign, also voiced frustration over what he sees as broken promises.
“Everything [Trump] campaigned on, I believed he wanted to do,” Schulz said in a July episode of his show. “And now he’s doing the exact opposite thing of every single f—–g thing.”
Schulz also mentioned people often send him messages of news involving Trump, reminding Schulz of what he voted for.
“I voted for none of this,” he said. “He’s doing the exact opposite of everything I voted for.”
Theo Von: ‘This was just f—ed up’
Theo Von, another podcaster who welcomed Trump during his campaign, recently criticized the Department of Homeland Security for using his likeness in a social media post promoting deportation numbers.
“Yooo DHS i didnt approve to be used in this,” Von posted on X. “I know you know my address so send a check. And please take this down and please keep me out of your ‘banger’ deportation videos. When it comes to immigration my thoughts and heart are a lot more nuanced than this video allows. Bye!”
Von later explained the situation on his podcast “This Past Weekend” last week, saying he was shocked the government had used the clip and doesn’t understand why they are making those “intense” videos.
“My father immigrated here from Nicaragua. One of my prized possessions is his immigration papers from when he came here — I have them in a frame,” Von said, visibly upset. “This was just f—ed up. It was f—ed up.”
He said things escalated as the video continued to circulate online, even after being deleted by DHS. A government official reached out to offer “extra police cars on patrol” in his neighborhood.
“I’m like, what are you talking about? Extra security? I don’t even know the code to my ring camera,” Von said. “I don’t even know how to log in. So it’s like, you’re just going to put police cars in my neighborhood? What are my neighbors going to think now? They’re fearful. I don’t know, man, that really kind of shook me.”
Von has also been vocal about international issues, recently reposting a clip of Dr. Mohammed Mustafa — known as Dr. Mo — discussing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He captioned the post with a broken heart emoji and the message, “Free [Palestine flag]!!”
Rogan defends free speech and criticizes immigration raids
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Men under 50 backed Trump by larger margins in the 2024 election as compared to 2020.
Joe Rogan, who Trump’s son Barron reportedly encouraged his father to appear with to reach young male voters, has also been outspoken about the president’s policies and the current political climate.
During the protests and boycotts over ABC’s temporary suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” following comments Kimmel made about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Rogan defended free speech. Many suspected the president and his FCC chair, Brendan Carr, were involved in the network’s decision.
“I definitely don’t think that the government should be involved, ever, in dictating what a comedian can or cannot say in a monologue,” Rogan said. “That’s crazy.”
In a July 2 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan again addressed political issues, this time with Replit CEO Amjad Masad.
“What’s happening now is, you know, it’s kind of disappointing,” Masad told Rogan.
“It’s insane,” Rogan replied. “There’s two things that are insane. One is the targeting of migrant workers — not cartel members, not gang members, not drug dealers — just construction workers. Showing up at construction sites, raiding them. Gardeners. Like, really?”
A shift in tone among Trump’s podcast allies
Following Trump’s victory, he publicly credited his son Barron for convincing him to appear on Rogan’s podcast as part of a strategy to win over younger voters. With creators like Ross, Schulz, and Von drawing similar demographics, their platforms likely played a major role in energizing that audience.
