Barron Trump: The 'Sleeper Agent' Who Shaped Donald Trump's Victory In US President Election

After the US Election results, Barron Trump, the 18-year-old son of US President-elect Donald Trump, has been credited with playing a significant role in shaping his father's campaign strategy, particularly in wooing young male voters. Barron, who has largely stayed out of the political spotlight, became a central figure in deciding which podcasts his father would appear on during the 2024 election campaign, according to media reports.When Donald Trump first became president of the United States, Barron Trump was just 10 years old. Fast forward to the 2024 election, surrounded by middle-aged aides, Trump sought advice from his youngest son for this modern, youth-oriented approach.According to a 3,800-word report by Time’s Eric Cortellessa, Trump’s campaign chair Susie Wiles instructed advisor Alex Bruesewitz to compile a list of podcasts for the Republican candidate. However, it was Barron who had the final say. When Bruesewitz presented his recommendations, Trump asked, “Have you talked this over with Barron?” Upon learning that Bruesewitz hadn’t consulted Barron, Trump responded, “Call Barron and see what he thinks and let me know,” as detailed in the report.Cortellessa also noted on X that after some effort to reach Barron, who has been kept largely out of the political spotlight by Melania Trump, Bruesewitz received approval for the podcast appearances. This shift from traditional media to social media represented uncharted territory for Trump’s campaign, prompting him to rely on Barron and his influencer friend, Bo Loudon, to navigate the online world.Asked about Barron's role in his father's strategy, Bo Loudon told journalist Piers Morgan: "He's definitely playing a hand ... He's in my age group, he knows who's popular at this time." According to the Times report, Barron told Bruesewitz that he was particularly fond of Adin Ross, a controversial figure who collaborates with celebrities on live-streams of video games. As they decided on Ross, Trump's podcast strategy was in motion and the Republican presidential candidate appeared on Ross’ podcast in August, which went viral, garnering millions of views on the livestream.Notably, Adin Ross received a gold Rolex and a Tesla Cybertruck—a move that Barron and Bo were reportedly behind, The Independent reported.“They don’t grow up watching television the same way as we did,” Trump remarked in an interview with The Daily Mail in September, reflecting on the digital landscape of young voters. “They grow up looking at the internet or watching a computer, right?”'Trump On Steroids'The aggressive social media strategy, which a Trump campaign advisor dubbed "Trump on steroids" in a CNN interview, proved to be a success, “Think Trump on steroids. It’ll be all hands on deck”.Trump engaged with a wide range of internet personalities, including YouTubers like Logan Paul, comedian Theo Von, podcaster Lex Fridman, the Nelk Boys, and political commentator Ben Shapiro. Most notably, Trump appeared on the world’s most popular podcast, Joe Rogan’s show. According to Politico, Jason Miller, a senior Trump advisor, praised Barron’s selections, calling them “absolute ratings gold that’s broken the internet,” highlighting the campaign’s successful appeal to younger audiences.ALSO READ | Jaishankar Highlights Modi-Trump Friendship, Says ‘A Lot Of Countries Nervous About US, India Not One Of Them’In A First, More Than 50% Of Young Men Voted In Trump's Favour Thanks To His 'Sleeper Agent' Notably, for the first time, more than 50% of young men voted in his favour, with many citing their belief that he would be better for their personal economy. To connect with this demographic, Trump turned to Barron, ABC News reported. Barron is being lauded for helping Trump connect with what’s known as "the manosphere", ABC's report stated.Notably, Lara Trump recently acknowledged Barron’s influence, calling him the campaign's "sleeper" agent. She recalled several instances during the campaign when Barron would call his father with suggestions on how to improve his chances with voters. "There have been many times over the course of the campaign with my father-in-law in the car, and Barron will call and say, 'Dad, I have an idea of how you can get more votes,'" she said, as quoted by the report.Barron is said to have advised his father to go for long, in-depth interviews with podcasters, discussions with gamers, and engaging with voters who consumed online content, but not from traditional media outlets like CNN. This strategy proved effective in reaching younger voters, especially those in the “very online” community. This approach can be contrasted with Kamala Harris's campaign which largely focused on traditional interviews, barring some podcast appearances like the Call Her Daddy podcast.As the 2024 election unfolded, Barron Trump’s influence appeared to have helped his father appeal to the “manosphere,” a term used to describe a subset of internet culture and online communities focused on male interests. In the end, the campaign’s focus on reaching younger, online voters helped Donald Trump secure a strong showing among this demographic.In a post-victory speech, as Donald Trump stepped back from the mic, UFC CEO and Trump ally Dana White even gave a shoutout to the influencers who helped elevate Trump’s campaign, thereby acknowledging the role played by Barron and his youth-oriented approach to election campaigning.