10 political creators leveling up in 2026
Because who doesn’t need fresh content in their rotation?
One resolution for 2026: No more jumping on creator bandwagons when they’re already flying full-speed.
As far as digital trends go, we’re gonna be early, often. That’s half the reason you subscribe to Who Broke It — the other half is obviously my bootleg Photoshop skills.
The idea for this post came out of what ended up being an incredibly useful exercise: making a Creator of the Year bracket, which progressive YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen won. But I felt like there were so many creators I couldn’t include who found new, innovative footing in 2025, and it’d be a shame not to size them up.
A couple things to note:
These are people who I see as either being on the cusp of widespread awareness in the political world or who serve as a representation of an emerging trend.
As always, I don’t want you to assume that I am sharing these people because I agree with them all. Try to expand the limits of what you find interesting to include things you disagree with — key to getting a full-fat, hearty media diet.
The list is in alphabetical order so things don’t feel so polar.
I reached out to everyone on this list to hear what vibes they’re bringing into 2026. Unfortunately, not everyone got back to me — some said they would, then didn’t. Such is life in the creator world.
I guess that makes this resolution #2: increase outreach to make more inroads with creators on the right. MAGA creators remain highly skeptical of media outside their bubble. But this product is only gonna get better if we hear from all the cooks in the kitchen.
With all that said, let’s get down to business.
Where to start: Elon Musk has posted, on a number of occasions, affirming Kaizen’s self-ascribed titles like “strong” and “clear thinker.” One was in response to a video of Kaizen explaining why anti-white racism is “irrational” from an appearance on “Her Take” with Ana Kasparian (TYT) and Jillian Michaels.
In Grace’s words:
Kaizen Asiedu frames his content as covering “taboo topics that we’re not allowed to talk about, but really should.” That, for the most part, means race. He’s doubling down on the “overcorrection for racism” take at the right time — when the headliners at the TPUSA conference are celebrating that white people are sooo back. If for nothing else, you know someone is trying to reach the majors when they land their first Piers Morgan yell-a-thon appearance, which Kaizen did in March.
Where to start: The first Ka production I saw was a video explaining “Trump’s plan to crash the economy on purpose” back in March. I famously do not understand the economy but watching this video and its excess of expertise brought me one step closer to feeling like I do.
In Ka (Jessica) Burbank’s words:
“2026 feels like my Return of the Jedi moment. I’m finally using my talents the way they’re meant to be used, guided by my creative intuition. I no longer feel the need to shrink myself to make others comfortable. I’m my own boss now, so I don’t need to be reserved anymore. This year I’m making media that pushes boundaries, brings new perspectives, and has the potential to transform the darker energy that’s been dominating for too long now.”
Where to start: Culture Apothecary frequently discusses strategies for optimizing marriage and family building from a conservative and religious perspective. The ideas shared — like homeschooling is better for kids, women need to nag less — are certainly not for everybody. But we can’t sit here and ignore that they appeal to a growing faction of young people who are pursuing what organizations like TPUSA would consider a “traditional” values system.
In Grace’s words:
As the world of women’s wellness continues to cash in on podcasts, I think Alex is primed to make a mainstream play. Her audience bubble has filled her cup consistently, but it has its upper limits. I think she’s smart enough to know that continued growth means MAGA has to take the back seat to MAHA. My guess is that she’d be gunning for an appearance on something like the “Skinny Confidential” podcast which has welcomed more conservative-coded figures — Ivanka Trump, for one — over the past couple years.
Where to start: I’ve been following Jack for ages, but there was one moment this year I clocked his ascension to new heights: when a seat across from Jack was the first place Cory Booker plopped down after his 25-hour floor speech, before any cable hits. I say this with respect, Jack is just normal in a way that has been grossly underrepresented in the left-wing content world. I predict his next step is to crank the “agitator” a bit higher.
On Jack Cocchiarella’s docket:
“Launching a new channel to house the newsiest clips of the day, starting a weekly livestream show, and putting out a book at the end of the year!”
Where to start: Sawyer is the person to follow if you want to kill two birds with one fork. It’s eater’s choice on where to begin, because most videos feature a recipe cook-along in addition to commentary on the news of the day. I will be testing his chef acumin soon, diving into this beef bourguignon recipe that served as a backdrop to a video about my favorite topic: the death of mainstream media.
In Sawyer Hackett’s words:
“2025 was the year I quit advising politicians and started speaking for myself. 2026 is the year I take it to the next level. I’ll put it in writing so I can’t back out: I’m going to launch a podcast/Youtube show this year. But don’t expect fluff interviews or surface level convos. I’m gonna go deep on how we fight Trump and the far-right — and where we go from here as a country. I’ll also be doing a lot more cooking in 2026, both in the kitchen and in the booth cooking up bad takes.”
Where to start: Another one where you have the option to start where I did: Emily popped in as a guest on the “Ezra Klein Show” in the lead up to the 2024 election. I’ve been a devout follower of hers ever since. Aside from being literally everywhere in the new media solar system, I find that Emily opens up the easiest access point to understanding the machinations and perspectives of the contemporary right.
In Emily Jashinsky’s words:
“Live streaming is not quite the same as live television and I don’t think any journalist has quite bridged the gap from one medium to the other yet. I want to help new media set that mold, on After Party and on Breaking Points. I also plan to be talking more and more from a meta perspective on how every bit of content we consume on the internet is affected by the delivery vehicle. If you have a truck, you haul dirt. If you have a Porsche, you don’t. Both cars are fun, but they’re different. We’re all working through these rapid changes in real time, so I think more than half the battle is recognizing that when we’re communicating in hypernovel ways.”
Where to start: The entry point if you want just politics in moderated segments is any appearance on Abby Phillip’s hour on CNN. He’s usually wearing a cowboy hat. One time he wore a shirt that said “slavery is white history.” If you’ve got holiday time on your hands, his takedown of Stephen A. Smith on his podcast is a worthwhile watch.
In Grace’s words:
While his cultural criticism and analysis is really what elevated his platform and why I became a fan, I think 2026 is looking mighty political for Van. He’s one of the rare commentators these days whose opinions don’t change based on where the wind blows. There’s no shot in hell he’s gonna start to shy away from discussing anti-Black racism (many liberal creators can’t say the same) — he’s even got a three-hour deep dive on reparations planned for February. Curious to see what else he’s got cooking.
Where to start: As someone in the content business, I have literally no idea how Amanda produces so much substantive content in a week’s time, though I’m sure her background as a historian helps. She’s got a series for everybody: what Congress is up to this week, what’s that president got to do with me, candidate interviews, anniversary explainers, etc.
In Grace’s words:
Content on the left is made up of two pillars: the reactive and the educational. Amanda has firmly planted her flag atop the educational pillar — something consumers crave and her audience is deeply engaged with. She said in a video recently that when she finishes leading the class through a weeks-long explainer series looking at all of Project 2025, she’s moving on to a syllabus all about the history of third parties in the United States. What Amanda chooses for subject matter is sometimes as revealing as the subject matter itself, don’t forget that!
Where to start: The majority of Nick’s video titles begin with the word “confronting.” And all of his videos deliver on that promise. To his credit, he has no fear of approaching an adversary and no hesitation in asking something intentionally provocative. Even if you recoil at Nick’s far-right tendencies, it can be enlightening to see how people on your side can come across through his lens.
In Grace’s words:
Whether you like them or not, I don’t think first-person, street-style videos are going away. The fashion TikTokers on every corner are going to be flanked more and more by people like Nick. His self-appointed “independent journalist” title, allows him a level of freedom, a lack of oversight, and a loose relationship to facts that other journalists would never have. But because of all of this, Nick and other creators like him actually do spend their time speaking to more “normal” Americans every day than some empty studio wigs will in a year.
Where to start: Blaire’s been around for a long time, but her videos didn’t cross my desk til recently. I started with this video arguing that the increase in young people transitioning was brought on by COVID and amounts to nothing more than a trend. Blaire’s content addresses her problems with the trans community, for hundreds of thousands of people, while being trans herself.
In Grace’s words:
This is a niche video genre that I think will pop off next year: political messages delivered by the unlikeliest messenger. People remain baffled by the coalition that delivered Trump the White House in 2024, and those with a more curious bent (me) are constantly looking for content that will walk me through the thought process of someone who is affiliated with a movement hostile to their identity. Blaire is a great case study for this.
And with that, 2025 vanishes into the ether. See you on the other side! 🤪
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Ok - this is awesome and you definitely deserve it but did they have to put freakin Nick Shirley right below 👇 can you catch stupid through a computer app!🙋♂️🤣
Trying to keep up! Not sure about every one of these 🙄