Wearing combat helmets and protective vests, some of the US’s most popular right-wing creators toured what they called an aid distribution hub in Gaza late last month—a trip carefully funded by Israel’s foreign ministry. By way of the nonprofit Israel365, the Israeli government funneled at least $70,000 to 15 MAGA creators to bring them to Gaza’s humanitarian sites, the Western Wall, and the Golan Heights, among other areas.
“It sits here to spoil and be stolen,” Xaviaer DuRousseau captioned a photo of himself standing in front of what he claimed was food aid on X last month. “How is that Israel’s fault?” Other creators on the trip, like Jayne Zirkle, echoed similar claims, depicting Israel as a besieged ally to their combined millions of followers. (DuRousseau tells WIRED his travel and accommodations were largely paid for, but he was not required to make content. Israel365 did not respond to a request for comment, but Haaretz reported that Israel’s foreign ministry awarded the group a contract without a tender due to its “unique position to convey a pro-Israel stance that aligns entirely with the MAGA and America First agenda.”)
Throughout the 2024 election, President Donald Trump leveraged his campaign’s relationships with influencers to reach voters. Now that MAGA has regained power in Washington, the movement is expanding its reach abroad. The August trip to Israel is only the most recent example of how conservative creators are branching beyond domestic issues like elections and immigration and stepping into the role of foreign policy emissaries–operating in a gray zone where it’s unclear exactly whose message they’re carrying. According to one conservative digital organizer, GOP-friendly influencers have received an uptick in invites and outreach from foreign countries and embassies, which are seeking opportunities to shape diplomatic narratives by speaking directly to US audiences online.
“Especially for young people looking to make a political impact, gaining first-hand experience in foreign policy by visiting strategic allies is a powerful way to understand the critical role the United States plays as a global superpower,” says Zirkle, an influencer who has appeared on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, of her decision to travel abroad as part of these creator partnerships. (Zirkle says she was not paid to make content.) “I hope more trips like the one I had the opportunity to take to Israel continue to happen.”
In Europe, Hungary has become one of the most well-traveled destinations amongst MAGA influencers. Since 2022, the Budapest-based version of CPAC has enticed a rotating cast of right-wing celebrities and creators to travel to Hungary. Television and podcast hosts Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and others have all appeared either virtually or in person, and in May, Ben Shapiro spoke at the conference, speaking fondly of Western imperialism.
Last week, Kirk and Pizzagate promoter Jack Posobiec spoke at a Christian nationalist conference outside Seoul called Build Up Korea. According to the conference’s schedule, Posobiec was slated to speak about Korea’s place in American diplomacy and Kangmin Lee, a MAGA creator, to speak on a panel called “How Top Influencers Inspired America’s Gen Z and Millennials in Politics.”