WASHINGTON — President Trump and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles welcomed roughly 20 online media influencers to a private White House gathering this week, bringing together a roster of MAGA-aligned voices as the administration turns its attention toward the midterm election fight.
The Tuesday night event drew a mix of sports figures, Christian content creators and well-known conservative personalities. Wiles hosted the group on the private patio outside her West Wing office, while Trump made an appearance and remained for more than an hour, mingling with guests, answering questions and posing for conversation.
Xaviaer DuRousseau, a social media personality known for publicly shifting from progressive politics to conservative Republican activism, said Trump greeted him warmly, telling him: “I love your hair and I love you. Great work.”
“I’m black and my president loves me,” DuRousseau said in a video he shared online after the White House visit.
DuRousseau, who has built an audience of 2.3 million followers across his social platforms, frequently posts political commentary and criticism of left-wing Democrats, including Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
Collectively, the invited influencers command audiences reaching millions of Americans across major digital platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube.
“President Trump has harnessed the power of New Media and social media to cut through the fake news and share his commonsense, America First agenda directly with the American people,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told The Post.
The statement mirrored the broader message the administration is pushing to voters ahead of November’s midterm elections, as Republicans work to maintain their hold on Congress.
“With the largest middle-class tax cuts in history, the lowest crime rate in nearly a century, the border sealed shut, and Americans’ 401(k)s climbing to record highs, the United States of America has never been stronger than under President Trump’s leadership – and the president will continue touting his wins for the American people,” Wales said.
More and more Americans are turning to social media for their news. More than half of US adults get news from social media at least sometimes, the Pew Research Center found.
Trump, going back to the 2024 presidential campaign, has courted digital creators, televangelists, and right-wing commentators to spread his MAGA message.
Benny Johnson, a MAGA favorite with a 16 million following, called the night “remarkable” but refused to detail anything more about the messages other than to note it was a “new Christian revival.”
“More on that soon,” he wrote on X.
Josh Howerton, the pastor at an evangelical megachurch in Texas; Nick Freitas, a former Senate candidate in Virginia; Human Events’ editor Jack Posobiec; comedian George Janko; and young sports influencer Ben Black were in attendance Tuesday night.
Conservative commentator Sara Gonzales, Christian creator Bryce Crawford; actors and influencers Alex and Carlos Pena Vega, and political commentator Jeff Mead also joined the gathering.
Wiles has pushed for greater focus on the upcoming election. She also hosted lawmakers and top Trump world players for meetings to discuss election strategy and messaging.
“A little fun at the White House,” Wiles wrote on X of Tuesday’s event.
“The incredible White House florist and East Wing team transformed my office patio into the most beautiful setting for a gathering,” she added: “POTUS stopped by, stayed for over an hour, and had a great time answering questions. It was a fun and very special night!”
