Revealed: MAGA algorithms are pushing Gen-Z to pro-Trump content

Pundits have spent a lot of time analyzing the politics of Generation Z. Some of them argue that if Gen-Z prove to be even more liberal or progressive than Millennials, the GOP will suffer. Yet various critics of President Donald Trump, including MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and "Real Time" host Bill Maher, are warning that if Democrats are perceived as anti-male, young men will be drawn to the GOP and MAGA messaging.

During his 2024 campaign, Trump made an aggressive outreach to Gen-Z — from the Manosphere to TikTok to podcasts and vodcasts.

In an article published on June 21, Axios reporters Tal Axelrod and Erica Pandey examine the online algorithms that Trump's 2024 campaign and MAGA Republicans used to attract more Gen-Z voters.

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"Gen Z's digital world became a powerful political incubator for the Republican Party in 2024 — a force for persuasion and community-building that reshaped the youth vote in astonishing ways," Axelrod and Pandey explain. "Seemingly overnight, MAGA took command of a full-fledged social ecosystem that met many young Americans where they already were. It was a cultural and political revolution hiding in plain sight — yet it blindsided the Democratic establishment, which is now scrambling to understand how it happened, and how to fight back."

The Axios reporters note that during their research, they "each created new accounts on TikTok — where Gen Z disproportionately gets its news — and followed a basic set of MAGA or MAGA-aligned accounts: Think Team Trump, Tucker Carlson, Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens."

"TikTok knew that Tal was a 30-year-old man and Erica was a 30-year-old woman," Axelrod and Pandey report. "From there, the algorithm took control. At first, we got what we expected: clips from Trump rallies, viral moments from Kirk's podcasts, and segments from Fox News. Then, our experiences diverged. Tal was fed a steady stream of masculinity content: Endurance athlete David Goggins berating men with motivational speeches, podcaster Chris Williamson interviewing guests about male struggles."

The journalists continue, "Erica's 'For You' page zeroed in on three topics: (1) right-wing critiques of modern feminism pulling women away from marriage and motherhood, (2) debates around trans women in sports, and (3) the ethics of abortion. The intrigue: It took less than an hour for the algorithm to move us from standard MAGA content to deeper ideological terrain — podcast clips, campus debates, and 'red pill' rants about gender roles and identity. We didn't go looking for this content — it came to us."

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That Trump-friendly content, according to Axelrod and Pandey, "revealed a striking pattern" in which "right-wing views on gender and identity are digitally intertwined with MAGA politics."

"Dip your toe in, and the algorithm grabs your ankle," the Axios reporters write. "Interested in mixed martial arts and the UFC? You might land on a pro-Trump hype reel. Interested in lifestyle content? You might end up with conservative takes on motherhood and marriage…. 'Trad wife' and 'manosphere' videos perform extraordinarily well."

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Read Tal Axelrod and Erica Pandey's full article for Axios at this link.