MEET THE LIB BROS
Two young, straight male social media stars co-opt Trump's tactics
Jared Shult is an Austin based liberal influencer.
Harry Sisson moderates a Feb. 24 book tour stop for California Gov. Gavin Newsom in New York City.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, appears Feb. 24 with Harry Sisson at the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center in New York City.
POLITICS
The first weekend of Coachella, Jared Shult flailed his arms like the kind of inflatable figure that sits out-side a used car lot in a small American town.
"Imagine hating on me when this is the vibe I'm on," he captioned an Instagram video post of his moves at the California music and arts festival April 13. "Trump has more rhythm than you bro," one user commented. "Damn, that's a low blow," Shult, 22, replied with two crying emojis.
Shult has more than 500,000 followers across Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter).
A day earlier, fellow influencer Harry Sisson, 23, who boasts 3.9 million social media followers, posted that "JD Vance is on a generational losing streak. Keep it up JD!"
Two of the left's best-known young straight white men, they punch back at MAGA movement members with Trump's stinging style.
These influencers stoke online backlash and invite criticism from the right while charming casual fans and Democratic loyalists.
'Trump promised'
Based in New York and Texas, Shult and Sisson help the Democratic Party build support among Gen Z voters one sassy post at a time.
Seton Hall professor Jess Rauchberg, who studies digital culture, said "the larger attitudes" about young white men such as Shult and Sisson shifted as Trump's second term entered its second year. Now, the Democratic Party relies on figures like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to help get messages across and relate to white men.
In 2024, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris struggled to gain support among young white men. Meanwhile, Trump used male-centric podcasts during his candidacy to bolster his message about affordability and the economy among young men.
"Trump promised them these things and said, 'We're going to do this, we're going to make your dreams come true,'" Sisson said, but "none of it's coming true."
Sisson uses his own identity to confront what he views as Trump's failure to deliver on campaign promises. He antagonizes Trump acolytes, offering snarky comments on headlines rather than reading the news.
Shult and Sisson follow each other, posting gym photos flexing their physique, co-opting Republicans' ownership of masculinity. They also regularly jab Trump over his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Conservative online commenters respond by calling them gay.
Narratives align goals
Public support for the president has waned among young voters, according to recent surveys. Yale University's spring Youth Poll, released mid-April, found Trump lost the most ground among women under 35 and men under 30. Young voters in the poll, except for men aged 18 to 22, shifted toward Democrats.
In February, Shult shared a selfie on Instagram in which he dons camo, followed by photos with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, a picture hoisting a "LIBERTY & JUSTICE 4 ALL" sign above his head and snaps with California Sen. Adam Schiff and potential 2028 presidential contender Pete Buttigieg.
Shult said he wants to curb the loneliness crisis among young men and address their growing disillusionment by displaying masculine empathy. "I'm trying to find ways to just promote the idea that, 'Hey, you can be a guy, and you can also like lifting, you can go hunting, you can do normal (expletive), you can be a very masculine man,' but then also talk to your close friends about things you're dealing with, or go to therapy, or whatever it is," he said.
Part of his appeal is that he could be a Republican. He wears camouflage and hunts deer. He's a NASCAR fan. He fawns over the appearance of women like Kaitlan Collins, the primetime host of CNN's "The Source" known for a chic style, blowouts and rattling Trump.
Rage-baiting GOP
Shult rage-baits Republicans daily. He mocked Katie Miller, a conservative podcaster who is married to Trump's immigration czar Stephen Miller, on social media for her husband's appearance after she wrote online that "liberal men aren't attractive."
He applauded lesbians in an April 20 post: "Anyone who is against gay adoption has clearly never met a lesbian woman," it says. "Those are some of the coolest and most loving people I've ever met."
A Texas A&M alum, Shult is a self-described lover of the gym, the outdoors and "side quests" (one-off adventures) as seen in his Instagram bio. His flow haircut mimics the style of some members of the U.S. men's hockey team, whom Shult said looked "bored" when they attended Trump's Feb. 26 State of the Union address.
He grew up with happily married parents in affluent Frisco, Texas, and started posting content as a high school sophomore. He later joined a Christian youth group that influenced his online content.
Shult says he underwent a public deprogramming with his Christian faith during his freshman year of college. He instead found faith in progressive politics.
'Things changed'
Sisson found his way to viral lefty fame after forays into the digital world as a teen. In March 2020, a 17-year-old Sisson delivered a virtual TED talk addressed to Trump, arguing Gen Z will consider climate policies when they vote. It foreshadowed his eventual online acclaim for content he posted in support of former President Joe Biden during the 2020 race.
"You could go on social media and, you know, see what your friends are doing, but also see a video of a dog, whatever, or cats," Sisson said last fall. "Now, especially since (billionaire Elon) Musk took over Twitter and then the Trump regime has come back in, things have just dramatically changed."
Sisson was a liberal superstar during his time in college. He first enrolled at George Washington University before transferring to New York University, which he still attends. He visited the White House and appeared on the cover of Town & Country magazine. He met with former President Barack Obama before the 2022 midterm elections. Sisson also sat down with Biden's secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and interviewed Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. On Feb. 24, he moderated the New York City tour stop for Newsom, who promoted his new memoir, "Young Man in a Hurry."
Trump supporters mounted an unsuccessful online campaign last year to deport Sisson (he was born in Singapore but is an American citizen). In October, an official Trump social media account posted an artificial intelligence-generated video depicting the president dumping sewage on protesters, including an image of Sisson at a "No Kings" rally.
Sisson said he's a basic dude who wants the life "I envisioned when I was young."
"I want a robust debate again," he said. "I want to have a space in politics where we can make a change."
It's unclear if the liberal bros' efforts will make headway, University of Missouri-Kansas City political science professor Debra Leiter said. Winning elections is primarily about voter turnout.
She said disillusioned voters won't necessarily cross party lines; they'll simply stop participating in elections.
