Republicans’ attempt to ban TikTok is a ‘self-own,’ says the former Trump staffer, whose TikTok stardom is a blueprint for how a new generation of voters – and consumers – can be influenced.
By Exec Edge Editorial Staff
John McEntee may not be a mainstream media household name yet, but his voice is becoming a familiar sound across millions of TikTok feeds. As a former Trump staffer, one might expect him to wield his influence behind a podium or on Fox News. Instead, McEntee is “going direct,” taking his message to young voters – and their elder counterparts – with a brand of brash and lighthearted humor that pokes fun at liberal culture and values.
At 34, he’s become a TikTok sensation with over 3.3 million followers on his TikTok account, @daterightstuff, using humor, meme culture, and razor-sharp trolling to engage an audience where it spends its time: on social media.
Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, McEntee has crafted a framework for the future of political communication. In an era where the political message is shaped as much by the medium as the content, McEntee is making a bold case for Republicans to embrace TikTok – yes, the ByteDance-owned platform with Chinese origins that many on the right love to hate – as a tool rather than a target.
“It’s a ridiculous self-own that Republicans are trying to ban it,” McEntee said in a recent interview, unapologetically calling out his party’s approach to the wildly popular platform. “If the goal is to reach young voters, then why wouldn’t we go where they already are?”
McEntee is no stranger to the traditional political world. He was once the Director of the Presidential Personnel Office in the Trump White House, credited with ensuring that staffers aligned with Trump’s “America First” agenda, cutting through the scripted interview fluff to uncover true loyalty. But the experience taught him one thing: politics, at its core, needs authenticity. And where traditional media tends to flatten that quality with its made-for-TV formality, TikTok rewards a different kind of authenticity – one that feels immediate, irreverent, and personal.
The result is McEntee’s TikTok persona: a right-wing trash talker extraordinaire, casually dressed and usually eating a greasy, fried meal as he deadpans critiques of the left with short, punchy commentary. The formula is consistent: quick-cut videos no longer than a sentence or two, designed to fit the medium’s preference for brief, attention-grabbing moments. “We live in a soundbite culture,” he said. “Why not make your own? Or better yet, several a day?”
His posts don’t hammer home complex policy ideas or focus on the nitty-gritty details of governance. Instead, they play with humor and irony, poking fun at what he sees as the absurdities of the political left. He distills the cacophony of modern politics into digestible, shareable snippets that resonate with his audience – and he does so on a platform where most political voices lean left.
“I like to use humor to ridicule the values and norms of the other side,” McEntee explained. “It’s entertaining, and it reassures conservatives that they’re not alone.” This, he believes, is crucial in a landscape where younger voters form political attitudes long before they’re eligible to vote, with many developing opinions they carry well into adulthood.
To some, McEntee’s light-hearted trolling might seem superficial. But his content is having a real impact, reaching more than just politically active conservatives. A recent “feud” between McEntee and a liberal TikTok creator drew mainstream attention, with The Washington Post detailing their playful back-and-forth.
“It certainly hasn’t hurt our account,” McEntee quipped. “Probably the more attention, the better.” He paused, then added, “It’s all in good fun – mostly.”
McEntee sees TikTok as a way to reshape how political messaging reaches voters, tapping into a different demographic from those reached by Facebook, Twitter, or cable news. It’s not just that TikTok has an enormous user base – over 150 million Americans use the app – but that it’s where younger generations are increasingly getting their news. For McEntee, this demographic has been neglected by the Republican Party for too long.
“Republicans are often focused on talking to the people who already agree with them,” he said. “But there’s a whole world of people on TikTok who aren’t hearing our side, and many of them haven’t really made up their minds just yet. I want to help them decide.”
Even Donald Trump has come around to McEntee’s way of thinking, recently taking up TikTok to reach a broader audience. Trump’s account has amassed millions of followers since launching in June, and the former president has leveraged the platform to make his case against potential bans. While some Republicans continue to argue that TikTok’s ties to China represent a security threat, others see the massive potential to reach young voters, ultimately forcing a split within the party on the issue.
McEntee remains dismissive of those concerns, arguing that TikTok’s practices are no different from those employed by American-led social media platforms.
“Republicans think they’re throwing red meat to their base by being tough on China, but they’re missing out on a major opportunity to reach voters,” McEntee says.
He is clear-eyed about the political stakes, and an outright ban on TikTok could happen. But for now? He’s riding the wave.
The app’s cultural reach is undeniable, and the influence it has over shaping public opinion is a force McEntee wants to harness. And he’s not the only one to notice. Even congressional offices were taken aback earlier this year when TikTok called on its users to contact their representatives in protest of potential bans. The response was massive, with offices flooded by calls not just from young voters, but also older constituents who had been drawn into the TikTok universe.
McEntee’s focus on TikTok isn’t just ideological – it’s business-savvy, too. After leaving the Trump White House, he co-founded a dating app called Date Right, aimed at conservatives looking for like-minded partners. The app has the financial backing of elite figures, including Peter Thiel.
The app, which McEntee actively promotes on his @daterightstuff account, has seen its downloads spike whenever one of his videos goes viral.
“We have somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 monthly active users,” McEntee estimated. “In March, we had about 16,000 downloads – a big jump from the 4,000 we had in January.”
This is part of McEntee’s broader belief that conservatives can leverage the platform not just for political messaging but for community building, which can be monetized and leveraged in numerous ways.
“My goal is to build a place where people can connect, not just ideologically but personally,” he said, emphasizing that Date Right is about bringing people together who share similar values.
As the 2024 presidential election nears, McEntee is doubling down on his strategy.
“The thing about TikTok is that it’s real,” he explained. “People want to see your authentic self, not just some scripted version.”
To that end, his videos aren’t highly polished productions – they’re snippets of his everyday life, complete with half-finished meals, quick jokes, and the occasional interruption from friends. The point isn’t to preach policy but to humanize a political perspective.
For McEntee, TikTok isn’t just an add-on to a traditional campaign; it’s a mainline to a new generation of voters who want something different from politics. And while many in his party may still see the app as a threat, he believes it’s just the opposite.
“We need to be where the people are,” he said simply. “And right now, the people are on TikTok.”
Whether Republicans will ultimately embrace TikTok as McEntee has is yet to be seen. For now, McEntee’s viral success is proof that one doesn’t need to run for office to wield political influence – all it takes is a smartphone, a sense of humor, and a willingness to engage with an audience on their terms.
With every post, McEntee is rewriting the rules of political communication, one viral sound bite at a time.
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