After the 2024 presidential election, information tales proliferated about Donald Trump profitable over the younger male vote. On the floor, many stated this was due partly to a genius transfer by his son Barron to get Trump on podcasts hosted by Joe Rogan and Theo Von.
Nonetheless, for those who ask Chris Kluwe, the reason being way more nefarious than that.
The previous Minnesota Vikings punter who not too long ago went viral for protesting a MAGA plaque at a public library in Huntington Seaside, California, informed Each day Kos that social media algorithms are main males to undertake neo-Nazi ideologies.
Associated story: Ex-NFL participant arrested for protesting MAGA plaque in public library
“A lot of the radicalization of young men in America is because big tech companies want to make a lot of money, and they don’t care who they hurt to do it,” he stated.
Within the digital area, an organization’s backside line usually boils right down to clicks and time spent on an article or video. With dwindling consideration spans and nonstop information cycles, creators and corporations as a complete have jumped to new ranges to compete for consideration.
In different phrases, Kluwe stated, the creators perceive that to “drive clicks”—which translate to {dollars}—they should make extra “extreme content.”
“And so they lead these people down rabbit holes, where you start right at the Joe Rogan podcast, and then you end as a member of Stormfront,” Kluwe stated, referring to a neo-Nazi message board.
And it’s not simply U.S. creators pushing these concepts on their very own. In 2024, right-wing social media creators had been allegedly tied to a Russian operation to unfold pro-Russian propaganda.
Up to now election cycle, the U.S. has seen Silicon Valley and its highly effective tech corporations primarily abandon the left and bow to MAGA. From million-dollar donations to Trump’s inaugural funds, VIP seats to his swearing-in, multimillion-dollar settlement instances, office range overhauls, and extra, tech and social media corporations have a hue of crimson.
X—now a haven for far-right ideologies—is run by the Nazi-saluting Elon Musk, who holds huge sway within the White Home as Trump’s “first buddy.” He additionally has banned some left-leaning accounts from the web site.
Kluwe, whose following on Bluesky skyrocketed after his arrest in Orange County, continues to be banned.
“I impersonated Elon Musk,” he informed Each day Kos. “When Musk declared he was going to open up the verification system to anyone who could pay eight bucks or 10 bucks, I was instantly like … this is a really bad idea. At that point, it’s not really a verification system, it’s a ‘Hey, I have money, pay attention to me’ system.”
To show his level, Kluwe says he trolled Musk by impersonating him on X (then Twitter) for about 18 hours earlier than the location caught on.
One of many viral tweets?
“There is nothing better than waking up and enjoying a fresh, steaming cup of my own urine,” Kluwe wrote. “Such a tangy way to start the day, and it’s scientifically proven to help brain cells grow. If you want to be like me, drink your pee.”
To Kluwe, it isn’t simply social media that’s been bowing right down to the suitable. In his opinion, even legacy media retailers like The New York Occasions have conceded to Trump as effectively.
After turning down an interview with the Occasions, Kluwe informed Each day Kos that he agreed to our interview as a result of our outlet “didn’t write an apologia for a dictator.”
“The New York Times was complicit in Hitler’s rise to power,” Kluwe stated, including, “Because they wrote the exact same articles they’re writing now. They wrote, ‘Oh, Hitler doesn’t mean it. Oh, he’s just trolling about the Jews. Oh, he would never do something like that.’ And then the camp started.”
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However Kluwe, like many involved folks around the globe, understands there isn’t one straightforward answer to repair the rising downside of radicalization and violence via social media.
“Well, you could put [Meta CEO] Mark Zuckerberg in jail for a start. Then you could break apart YouTube, figure out what their algorithms are doing, find the people responsible for that, put them in jail,” Kluwe stated, although he added, “It’s never going to happen.”
However, Kluwe stated what we actually want is “more voices speaking up on the other side.”
“We need those voices to be amplified by people who have power,” he stated. “As a result of proper now, the individuals who have energy lean towards Trump.”
However as at all times, cash talks. Individuals are abandoning X and flocking to alternate options like Bluesky. Information readers are canceling their Washington Put up subscriptions and leaning extra towards impartial media sources.
In different phrases, it’s doable that being all in on Trump won’t be good for large tech in spite of everything.
