Ideas

A Government of All the Podcasters

The right-wing podcast-industrial complex is establishing new norms and taboos—and expanding the White House’s power.

First published in The Atlantic on September 18, 2025.

by Helen Lewis, The Atlantic

September 25, 2025 | reading time: 7 Min.

“If it weren’t for Charlie Kirk, I would not be the vice president of the United States,” J. D. Vance said as he hosted The Charlie Kirk Show on Monday. This may well be true: Kirk lobbied for Vance to get the vice-presidential nomination. It’s also a reflection of how deeply Donald Trump’s White House is intertwined with a thriving ecosystem of partisan podcasters who amplify his agenda—and help set it.