Dana White was in jubilant mood. The boss of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts league, was invited to speak at the same podium as Donald Trump on Wednesday, November 6, just after the Republican candidate claimed victory in the race to become US president.
After extolling the virtues of the man who will become the country's 47th president, White concluded, with a smiling Trump behind him: "I want to thank some people really quick. I want to thank the Nelk Boys, Adin Ross, Theo Von, Bussin' With The Boys and last but not least, the mighty and powerful Joe Rogan." These are all names that may not have been recognized by the majority of Americans glued to their screens on election night, but which in recent months have fueled a powerful universe of influencers supporting the billionaire's bid for the White House.
Followed and watched online by millions on their channels – 7.1 million for Adin Ross on Instagram alone, for example – they present themselves as podcasters, streamers, YouTubers or comedians. In addition to having all made discriminatory or hateful comments, their most recent common denominator is that, in the last few hours, they have congratulated themselves on the outcome of the US election.
On the social media network X, Joe Rogan posted a video from his television broadcasting the conservative Fox News channel's announcement of Trump's victory. "Holy shit!" the very popular radio host can be heard exclaiming with laughter. An hour earlier, American-Canadian Youtubers Nelk Boys were also gloating: "To think they had Beyoncé, Eminem, LeBron, Taylor Swift and so many others and they STILL lost. The people have spoken."
Rogan, older than most of the influencers rallying to Trump's cause, has been one of the most active online disseminators of the presidential candidate's ideas and misinformation. A UFC commentator and stand-up comedian, the 55-year-old American hosts the Joe Rogan Experience. In this widely listened-to podcast (number one in the US on Spotify, also followed by 18.3 million subscribers on YouTube), he chats for hours with his guests.
After giving the microphone to numerous conspiracy theorists and prominent anti-vaccine figures, Rogan, now favoring the conservative camp, warmly welcomed Trump and his running mate JD Vance in the two weeks leading up to the election. In recent months, he has also repeatedly welcomed billionaire Elon Musk and TV presenter Tucker Carlson, also fervent supporters of the Republican camp.
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