Trump adviser Bruesewitz says foreign states approached him for influencer campaigns
"I've personally been approached by multiple foreign countries to do influencer related campaigns on their behalf. And I hold the position of I personally do not do work with foreign governments or foreign companies."
About this episode
Piers Morgan interviews Trump digital adviser Alex Bruesewitz about Donald Trump’s heavy use of memes and AI-style imagery on social media, and the political value and risks of online provocation. Bruesewitz says his company runs campaign-linked accounts rather than White House channels, and argues that foreign governments and interest groups are using influencers to shape US political discourse. He says he has been approached by “multiple foreign countries” to run influencer campaigns and calls for stronger disclosure rules.
Morgan then hosts a debate between Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan and Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton. Hilton pitches a campaign focused on California living costs, while Hasan argues Hilton cannot credibly separate himself from Trump-era national politics, including the Iran conflict. Hilton says he hopes the Iran crisis ends with the fall of Tehran’s regime but avoids detailed operational commentary. Hasan criticises Elon Musk’s response to a question about being “anti-Muslim” in an Economist interview, calling it dangerous rhetoric, and Morgan and guests discuss how narratives about UK crime and migration circulate in US politics.
In the final segment, Mattea Petrescu—introduced as former head of communications for Andrew and Tristan Tate in Romania—gives her first television interview since new charges were announced leading to extradition to the UK. She says she left after concluding Andrew Tate had become harder to counsel, describes being “primed” to believe in his innocence, and disputes the claim that staff deleted his “I miss human trafficking” tweet, saying she lacked access to his account.
Key takeaways
- Alex Bruesewitz says foreign countries approached him to run influencer campaigns, which he says he refused.
- Bruesewitz calls for tougher disclosure requirements to counter what he describes as paid online propaganda.
- Steve Hilton alleges forthcoming whistleblower testimony implicating Xavier Becerra’s HHS in “child trafficking”, without presenting details in the interview.
- Mehdi Hasan condemns Elon Musk’s “anti-Muslim” answer in an Economist interview and criticises Musk for attacking the magazine’s editor.
- Mattea Petrescu says she left the Tate team after finding Andrew Tate “more and more unhinged” and disputes claims staff deleted his controversial tweet.
- Petrescu says she was “primed” to believe in Tate’s innocence and later felt her objectivity had eroded.