How to win elections and influence Trump supporters

Who pays for posts? A new post on X from “Billboard Chris” provides some insight into how the online influencer racket actually works. Earlier this week, pro-Trump poster Ryan Fournier shared a suspect report that claimed former president Donald Trump was considering picking North Dakota governor Doug Burgum to be his VP — and then listed all of the reasons why that would be a bad idea. The problem? Billboard Chris points out that an “influencer marketing firm” tried to pay him to post the exact same thing. 

“I’ve been told there’s a story dropping today that I think would fit well in your feed re a GOP gov who vetoed a bill that would’ve banned biological males playing in female sports. Wanted to see what your rate was to share/write a post?” the head of the “firm” said. After Billboard Chris asserted that he does not trade money for tweets, the man reaching out said that he “understood.” Not long after, the “firm” chief passed along Fournier’s tweet about Burgum, seemingly confirming it was an example of what he was trying to shop. 

The head of the influencer marketing firm later asked Billboard Chris to take down his exposé, declaring that he works in “confidentiality.” Billboard Chris declined. But how many did not?

Though Billboard Chris does not ID the man soliciting him, a source tells Cockburn the message came from Vivek and Kari Lake alum Zach Henry…

Source: NYT digging into Bari and the Free Press

Most people try to leave their employers on good terms — in case they need a reference in future. That’s not the path Bari Weiss took when she departed the New York Times to start her site the Free Press. Might she rue the spicy resignation letter she wrote upon her departure? Cockburn hears that her former Gray Lady colleagues are cooking up a deep-dive into Weiss and her new publication, with reporter Matt Flegenheimer making calls to colleagues, friends and enemies looking for dirt. One area of interest he’s digging around is her relationship to Elon Musk, a collaborator of sorts on the Twitter Files and potentially other projects. No word yet on when it will drop…

‘I’m playing both sides, so that I always come out on top’

Axiom, the Jeff Roe consulting shop now best known for its hand in the imploded DeSantis 2024 campaign, is in hot water once again for what some describe as its “taboo” consulting practices. Campaign finance reports show that Axiom is advising three competing candidates in two separate primary races — and that the candidates might have been none the wiser, as Axiom’s services were often contracted through subsidiaries or shell companies.

In Georgia’s 3rd congressional district, for example, Axiom is providing consulting services to Mike Crane, Phillip Singleton and Jim Bennett through affiliated groups like WPAi and AxCapital. In Virginia, Axiom managed to snag competitors Scott Parkinson, Eddie Garcia and Kimberly Lowe in the Senate primary. Garcia has since dumped Axiom-related firms and said he is exploring legal action. 

“I am deeply disappointed to learn that previous members of my campaign had such insidious relationships to my opponent and my legal team is actively determining potential courses of action,” Garcia said. 

The shady practices of Axiom were this time exposed by a new blog called “the Political Brief.” Its first post was about Axiom’s triple-dipping and was published on April 19. Its “About” page says it is looking for investigative journalists to join its team, but it does not say who founded the blog or who is funding it. “It looks like a hit,” a senior political consultant mused to Cockburn.

A WHCD shindig at the Old Country’s Embassy

White House Correspondents’ Dinner party season is upon us again. Cockburn kicked his off in style at the Ambassador’s Residence of the British Embassy where Playbook mainstay, Ambassador Karen Pierce, was hosting a soirée for her publication of choice. Attendees at the lavish do feasted on (don’t vom) traditional British delicacies such as fish and chips with all the trimmings, beef sirloin and sausage rolls. The many bars served cocktails including Tom Collinses and strawberry bourbon smashes and had a healthy beer and wine selection — though Cockburn is forced to point out that there was only one British beer on offer: Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale. There was a cigar station and whiskey bar in the interior courtyard and out back a string trio played, bizarrely, covers of Avicii, David Guetta and Miley Cyrus. 

As for big-name guests: Cockburn saw Attorney General Merrick Garland helping himself to some salmon before being swarmed by fans in the courtyard; Trump White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley in a pinstripe suit lining up for the bar; Semafor’s Justin Smith, Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren and journalists from the Sun, the Telegraph, Mediaite, the Washington Examiner, USA Today, Reason, the Daily Beast and, of course, Politico. There will be plenty more to come: send your invites to the email below…