Dem strategist behind racy attack ads says party doesn't need liberal Rogan but does need to win the culture
Democrats don’t need a liberal version of Joe Rogan to win back young male voters — but they do need to engage them on cultural battlegrounds, according to progressive strategist Joe Jacobson.
"Young men, they don’t give two s---- about politics," Jacobson, founder of the Progress Action Fund, told Fox News Digital. "You have to reach them where they’re at."
Jacobson, 31, a former policy adviser in the Obama administration, now runs a progressive PAC focused on electing Democrats in swing states. His group is part of a broader push to reclaim younger male voters, a demographic that swung significantly toward Donald Trump in the 2024 election. According to a Fox News Voter Survey last November, Trump captured 53% of young men, compared to Kamala Harris’ 45%.
The Progress Action Fund has gained attention for its risqué, viral ads featuring a fictional "Republican Congressman" who invades private moments in bedrooms, bathrooms and hospitals to enforce so-called conservative policies, such as stopping sex, abortion or denying care to Medicare patients.
"We’re trying to highlight issues we care about – whether it's trans issues or immigration – because Democrats don’t really seem to have a message," Jacobson said.
He argues that Democrats have a dual problem: weak messaging and unrelatable messengers.
"Kamala Harris wasn’t the best messenger for young men. Biden, in 2024, was old – to say the least," he said. "Young men want strong leaders who can get s--- done. It’s hard to care about the fate of democracy when you’ve got a couple of roommates, and you’re trying to find a girlfriend."
Instead of chasing a high-profile influencer like Rogan, Jacobson says Democrats should amplify authentic, progressive voices, naming David Hogg and Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., as figures he believes are more relevant to young men than the party’s aging leadership.
Jacobson’s group is working to raise $25 million to target young men ahead of the 2026 midterms through ads on gaming sites and social media. He says traditional cable news buys on "CNN or MSNBC" are great for getting out the base but don't reach young men, who are more interested in social media, gaming and sports.
Trump’s 2024 media strategy capitalized on digital outreach, with Trump appearing with popular podcast hosts like Rogan, Andrew Schulz, and Theo Von. His appearance on the "Joe Rogan Experience" days before the election racked up nearly 40 million views in just three days.
Jacobson’s message comes amid broader Democratic efforts to regain cultural relevance online.
Liberal strategists are urging major donors to fund "an army of left-leaning online influencers" to rival the GOP’s edge in digital influence, according to the report. The Times called it a bold – and possibly desperate – gamble, noting that platforms like Rogan’s podcast weren’t built overnight or by political operatives.
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While Jacobson emphasized the need for compelling messengers, he also says Democrats must offer bold policies on the economy and social issues.
"Nobody really cares about the future of democracy if you can’t afford the rent," he said.
He urged his party to stop surrendering on cultural issues and start fighting back, pointing to how effective Trump’s "Kamala is for they/them, Trump is for you" ad was during the 2024 campaign.
His group will be releasing a new ad featuring their fictional Republican character doing bathroom checks in response to the transgender debate, and another hitting Republicans over ICE raids.
Despite disappointing results for Democrats in the 2024 election, Jacobson remains hopeful: "We have to seem like we're relatable and not in the ivory tower — which I certainly think has been a problem in the past. But we can get back there because we won in 2020 with young men. Obama did well with them. We just have to get back to what made us successful."