The Influencer “Infestation” of Our Politics

9/3/2026

My face is the feature for a Bulwark article about political creators. The headline calls us an "infestation."

Creators are not an infestation, and treating an entire political communications channel as something to turn your nose up at isn't principle… it's malpractice.

If you want to talk about infestations, talk about the consulting firms' billing campaigns six figures for email blasts to purchased lists that never opted into anything, and mailers that go from the mailbox to the recycling bin without being read. Those firms have margins to protect. That incentive is shaping a lot of the advice campaigns are getting.

Meanwhile, the campaigns that have actually built creator programs are pulling ahead by tangible margins. (I.E., the huge Ed Markey win yesterday 💪)

The GOP has been doing this for over a decade. The article says as much; one strategist in it describes MAGA building these comms hubs for years while Democrats play catch-up. So we can catch up, or we can lose in 2028 while congratulating ourselves for “staying above it.”

Creators spent years earning trust that campaigns cannot buy on their own. They have authentic stories and real targeted audiences. They are going to shape the next presidential race whether or not consultants approve.

Are there best practices? Obviously. Not every creator fits every campaign. Vetting matters. Values alignment matters. Audience fit matters. But that is the work, the part that requires learning a field you don't understand yet instead of writing it off as vermin.

Just. Because. You. Find. The. Battlefield. Undignified. Doesn't. Mean. You. Get. To. Opt. Out. Of. The. War.