Rising Stars
The starting point for the ranking was the most-followed accounts in Trump’s orbit. But there are a number of rising stars in Trumpworld who, while not as well-followed as others, are still making a Splash. Here’s some of the bigger figures to emerge.
DAN BONGINO
A former Secret Service agent who protected Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Bongino is now a protrump pundit whose life’s purpose, as his Twitter bio says, is to “Own The Libs.” A fixture on Hannity’s Fox show and host of his own popular podcast, Bongino Report, Bongino, 46, didn’t have enough followers to crack the Trumpworld top 20. Still, he is a major player on Facebook, regularly topping its trending charts, and is quickly establishing himself as a brightest star in conservative media.
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE
Greene, 47, is a far-right Republican congresswoman from Georgia who has openly touted discredited conspiracy theories, such as Qanon, and endorses Trump’s false claim that Biden stole the 2020 election. She is a prolific, disputatious user of social media, regularly taking aim at political enemies, while also posting workout videos. Her incendiary statements got her booted from House committee assignments but have found a home on social platforms.
LAUREN BOEBERT
Boebert, 34, is a gun-toting Republican congresswoman from Colorado who aggressively champions the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms. She caused a stir in Washington shortly before taking office in January with a promise to carry a loaded Glock into Congress. Boebert also tweeted,“today is 1776,” before the storming of the Capitol. Another prolific user of social media, Boebert is growing in popularity with Trumpworld.
SCOTT PRESLER
The gay 33-year-old Republican activist rose to prominence with his cleanup events, starting in Baltimore after Trump called the city a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.” His chipper style is unorthodox in the polarized world of politics, but resonates on social media. Still, Presler is full-blooded MAGA: His Twitter bio says “I helped defeat Hillary,” with a background image that asks, “Why do Democrats choose illegal aliens first?”
MATT GAETZ
The 39-year-old Florida GOP congressman is not quiet about his ongoing loyalty to Trump, tweeting on May 5: “Donald Trump remains the undisputed leader of the Republican Party!” And when he is not outwardly praising Trump, his other posts revolve around themes favored by the former president: Criticism of his enemies and the push of an “America First” agenda. Gaetz is currently in serious legal trouble over allegations he paid a minor for sex, which he denies.
STEVEN CROWDER
The conservative comedian, 34, is a popular podcaster and Youtuber—his show and channel are both
called Louder with Crowder—who gleefully stokes controversy in his rants against the left on social media. Crowder has been accused of using racist and homophobic language. He recently had Donald Trump Jr. appear on his show and the pair criticized Facebook’s decision to ban the former president from Facebook and Twitter.
JOSH HAWLEY
The former state attorney general and now Republican senator from Missouri has stood by his efforts to contest the Electoral College votes and certification of Joe Biden as president on January 6. A now infamous image of the 41-year-old lawmaker shows him raising his fist to crowds gathered ahead of the violence at the Capitol that day. A major focus of his social media posting: criticism of Big Tech for what he believes is platforms’ unfair treatment of conservatives.