Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Jamie Q Roberts, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of Sydney

‘The intellectual dark web just won the election!’: meet the coalition of Joe Rogan, RFK Jr, Tulsi Gabbard and Elon Musk

Joe Rogan Elon Musk Tulsi Gabbard United States Donald Trump Jordan Peterson Beyoncé Bruce Springsteen Kamala Harris Bernie Sanders

Every US election throws up a cast of figures adjacent to the campaign who endorse one candidate or another. Kamala Harris had a long line of celebrity backers, from Beyoncé to Bruce Springsteen.

Donald Trump had his own celebrities, such as Hulk Hogan, but he was also supported by a group of converted Democrats: Joe Rogan, Tulsi Gabbard, (just chosen as Trump’s director of national intelligence), Robert F. Kennedy Jr (Trump’s pick to head the federal health agency), and Elon Musk, who has been selected to co-lead Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.

These figures are notable not just because they switched sides, but because they were part of an immensely popular online phenomenon born in the mid-2010s: the intellectual dark web. (Not to be confused with the dark web.)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Smokers have a lower risk of Parkinson’s – we may have found out why
Smoking is one of the biggest causes of ill health and early death. Yet smokers seem to have a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than non-smokers – by around half according to some studies.
The Conversation
The Conversation
NY Woman finds stolen Tamayo painting in trash; Sotheby’s sells it for $1.049 million
In 2003, Elizabeth Gibson found a brightly coloured painting in the rubbish on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. She later discovered it was Rufino Tamayo’s 1970 work “Tres Personajes”, stolen from a Houston couple in 1987. Sotheby’s planned to auction it for up to $1 million.
The Times of India
The Times of India
Jaden Newman Leaked Video Controversy: Viral Post Claims LaMelo Ball Paid Her $250K for One Encounter
A viral post claimed LaMelo Ball paid Jaden Newman $250,000 after seeing a private video, but no reliable evidence supports the alleged payment, encounter or quote.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
His Wife Says Decades of Sleep Talking Nearly Went Quiet After Hypnosis Gave Her a One-Word Cue
A man's decades-long sleep talking faded after hypnosis gave his wife a librarian's "Shhhh" as a cue, a case report says. Here's what it shows.
Medical Daily
Medical Daily
A Woman Smoked, Ate, and Walked in Her Sleep, and the Behaviors Returned Every Time Her Medication Stopped
A woman sleepwalked, ate, and smoked during sleep. A 2022 case report found that one bedtime drug quieted all three until it was stopped.
Medical Daily
Medical Daily
Have an Elmo Teether in the Freezer? Check It Before Giving It Back to Baby
That familiar red Elmo face sitting in your freezer may deserve a closer look before it goes back into your baby’s hands. A Skip Hop Baby “Sesame Street” Elmo Silicone Teether has been recalled because its black eye pieces can detach if the product is frozen, creating a choking hazard.…
Kids Ain't Cheap
Kids Ain't Cheap
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play