MAGA-friendly "manosphere" turns heat on Trump over Epstein scandal

From left: Andrew Schulz, Shane Gillis and Theo Von. Photos: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix; Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Arturo Holmes/Peacock via Getty ImagesThe MAGA backlash from the Jeffrey Epstein saga is spilling into a niche but influential corner of President Trump's coalition: the "manosphere."Why it matters: Anti-establishment comedians and podcasters like Joe Rogan, Theo Von and Andrew Schulz were widely credited with expanding Trump's support among young men in the 2024 election.Many hosted Trump or Vice President Vance on their shows and voiced support for populist themes, while generally steering clear of overtly partisan messaging.Their organic outrage over the administration's handling of the Epstein case marks a rare rupture — one that could threaten Trump's cultural foothold with Gen Z and millennial men.Driving the news: "There was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted," comedian Shane Gillis, popular among conservatives for his irreverent humor, deadpanned at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night."Probably deleted itself, right? Probably never existed, actually. Let's move on as a country and ignore that."What they're saying: The revolt reached critical mass in recent days across a constellation of "manosphere" podcasts — a term that came to describe their guys-being-dudes energy in 2024."Flagrant" host Andrew Schulz, whose last three podcast episodes have all been dominated by Epstein discourse, accused Trump of "insulting our intelligence" by claiming that the notorious sex trafficker had no "client list" or blackmail ring.A clip of Vance saying "we need to release the Epstein list" on comedian Theo Von's podcast last month has gone viral in recent days. Von himself reposted the video on X and wrote: "Yeah what changed?"Joe Rogan, who has one of the most popular podcasts in the world, joined the pile-on this week: "They can lie about all kinds of things. Where's the Epstein files? 'Oh, can't find them, don't exist.' Like, they can get away with sh*t, man."State of play: Nearly two weeks after the Justice Department released a memo announcing that the Epstein case would be closed, Trump's MAGA base is refusing to heed the president's calls to move on.A frustrated Trump is responding in increasingly personal terms, disavowing supporters who continue to focus on what he claims is a Democratic "hoax.""Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!" Trump posted Wednesay.Reality check: This isn't the first sign of manosphere unease with Trump. Some voices have questioned his immigration raids or criticized the bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities.But nothing has pierced the broader cultural conversation — or triggered as visceral a reaction — as the Epstein scandal.Between the lines: The manosphere is distinct from the core MAGA media ecosystem.While pro-Trump influencers like Charlie Kirk deliver explicitly partisan content, figures like Andrew Schulz and Joe Rogan have more wide-ranging and often light-hearted discussions.When they do discuss politics, it's largely through an anti-establishment lens.The bottom line: At a time when MAGA is looking to expand upon gains it made with Gen Z voters in 2024, manosphere podcasters could serve as key conduits — but only if they stay in the tent.

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