Venezuela Is the First Big Test for the Pentagon’s Influencer Press Corps—and It’s Failing

Venezuela: After Nicolás Maduro was kidnapped, the Pentagon’s new press team of right-wing influencers did not report on it. Instead, they were more like the bloggers from the Iraq War. They focused on gaining loyalty rather than sharing news.

On Monday, Laura Loomer looked for information on who might have leaked news about the Pentagon. Cam Higby, a member of the press team, joked about the White House needing a good edit when news broke of Maduro’s arrest. Another influencer, Monica Paige, criticized Biden, sharing an old post about Trump admiring dictators. Meanwhile, Joey Mannarino debated about who he’d support for the 2028 election.

These influencers got their Pentagon press passes last November. After the Pentagon made it hard for regular journalists to get information, many big news companies left. They were replaced by influencers from Turning Point USA and independent creators like Tim Pool.

So far, this new press group has only had one briefing from Kingsley Wilson, the Defense Department’s press secretary. Wilson took the chance to blast the traditional journalists who left, saying, “Legacy media chose to self-deport from this building.” The new strategy seems to be about reaching more Americans, not providing real news.

The crew of influencers has not shared any new information from the Venezuela raid. Instead, they focused on a separate story about alleged fraud in Minnesota, which some local outlets have been covering for years. This is similar to what happened during the Iraq War when bloggers attacked mainstream journalists and pushed pro-war views.

Since Maduro’s capture, influencers like Lancevideos have insulted critics and even called for more raids in other countries. So far, it seems none of these newly credentialed press members have given actual news about the raid. Instead, they’ve created memes praising the operation, likely why the Pentagon chose them.