We’ve Spent Hundreds of Hours Listening to Right-Wing Podcasts

Here’s what we’ve learned, and our advice for the left-leaning coalition

We started Unfortunately Not a Sound Bath (UNASB) in January 2025. At the time, we knew nothing about right-wing media guys (and gals). We were not interested in engaging with what they had to say because we assumed (correctly) that their perspectives would be jarring, if not painful and infuriating. But in those first few weeks of 2025, it became clear it was time to get our heads out of the sand, and understand the content millions of Americans consume every day—content that has profoundly shaped American politics

Since we started UNASB, 1,500 people have joined us from around the country—virtually and in person—to understand different kinds of right-leaning media. We’ve poured hundreds of hours listening to and watching right-wing podcasts, Youtube channels, TikToks and more, analyzing what they’re saying, how they’re saying it, and making a genuine effort to think about how we, left-leaning people, can show up differently, to persuade these audiences to join us in building a more progressive future.

Smash cut to now, August 2026. We’ve paused our biweekly UNASB meetings to prioritize organizing around the midterms (stay tuned, though—meetings may pick back up in early 2027!). We encourage our members and readers to find a cause, campaign, or community that means something to you, and use what you’ve learned through UNASB to have more effective, persuasive conversations about the state of our country and politics today. We’ve been building toward this moment. Trump—and his neo-fascist agenda—have never been less popular, and it’s on us to be there to meet his supporters (plus those who have given up on politics altogether) where they are.

Here’s a high-level summary of what we’ve taken away from over a year and a half of engaging with right-wing content.

For everyday conversations...

Feelings over facts.

Always. The Right successfully appeals to emotion. Their strongest media messengers know that leading with facts and data points in an emotionally charged moment is a losing proposition. Instead, these podcasters, Youtubers, and influencers make their audiences FEEL something. They make voters feel heard and seen. When you’re trying to persuade anyone, overwhelming them with facts and figures isn’t going to give them something to latch on to. Appealing to something deeply human (aka emotions) will go a longer way in building a connection.

Lead with storytelling. The more personal and specific, the better.

Paint a vivid picture of how a political issue shows up for everyday people by highlighting an anecdote. Politicians, liberal commentators, anyone with a mic who’s trying to move people to the left: tell us a STORY that we can vividly imagine and remember. People connect with people, not with a vague collective ‘we’. Here are some examples from our listening:

• Defending her MAHA stances, Dr. Casey Means talks about the death of her mother, and how she was left behind by the traditional healthcare system.

• Benny Johnson names individual audience members in real time and their gas prices to make a point about inflation.

• Charlie Kirk defends his harsh views on immigration using his own housekeeper’s words

• Alex Clark’s guest recounts the hypocrisy of her friends canceling her for not getting the COVID vaccine, meanwhile those friends “go to protests and don’t pick up all the trash on the ground”.

Don’t be afraid to change your mind, and admit it.

Admitting when you’re wrong builds trust. The right harnesses this tactic to deflect, and move on to the next talking point. Our coalition has a real opportunity to encourage changes of heart, and be welcoming of them. The concept of the ‘woke mob’ or of ‘cancel culture’ is a real bogeyman on the right – and it’s used to justify xenophobic, isolationist, and downright cruel policies. While it’s not on us to educate every rando on why punching down is bad, we can chip away at their reality by being open-minded and willing to have a conversation (vs shutting someone down or labeling them a bigot). Hurt people hurt people. And nothing hurts people like an oligarchic system that makes life harder and more expensive. Let’s make an opening to bring these people to our side.

Have hard conversations, even if it doesn’t deliver instant results.

From what we’ve listened to over the past year and a half, you’re bound to find some point of agreement or connection with a right-winger. UNASB members were able to identify common ground in nearly every episode, putting themselves into a mindframe in which they’d be talking to one of the shows’ listeners. Hijack that. Use whatever the point of agreement (a desire to afford a home, pain surrounding healthcare, or criticism of foreign wars) and use that to have a conversation that isn’t adversarial but is grounded on a shared humanity. People are persuadable, but not if you waste your conversation attacking them.

And if you work in left-leaning politics...

Think like brand marketers, not direct marketers.

Building affinity for a political movement is going to take time, so you need to world-build and story-tell in as many places as possible, over a long period of time. The right has done this for decades. Meanwhile, our side thinks we can show up in September and October only in years that end with even numbers, and demand a vote. We need to be reaching the electorate from all angles all the time, and that includes unconventional ways.

Simple is always better.

Stop trying to cram 1000 different talking points in a one minute ad or speech. Lock in your 1-3 topics and REPEAT them over and over again in ways that RESONATE (practical examples) and are easy to remember. “Kamala is for they/them, Trump is for you” it’s simple, it’s memorable, it’s not using overly big words that no one knows what you’re talking about.

Stop being so serious.

Undeniably, some of the voices on the right are FUNNY. Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Theo Von, Joe Rogan... They are entertainers at heart and know how to keep their audience’s attention for hours on end. They poke fun at themselves, their guests, and the world around them. Oftentimes it’s crude. They signal to audiences that they’re relatable, creating a space for political conversations that connect with people. A sense of humor can feel crass when talking about heavy topics or policy that impacts millions. But, ultimately, at some point the Dems became this overly serious bunch of people who brought white papers and data to every single conversation. This is an attention economy and the Right knows it.

Wealthy liberals, take risks! – and stop playing it so safe.

We are being relentlessly outspent by the other side. If you are a wealthy left-leaning person, you should be funding groups and individuals who are breaking through in clever ways. Stop looking for the perfect philanthropic organization – or talking head, or politician – that crosses every T and dots every i. We spent a lot of time trying to get funding to expand UNASB, but donors on the left weren’t interested in funding a project that didn’t deliver instant or clear results. They wanted a guarantee that every donation made would lead to an immediate Democratic electoral victory. That’s not how the Right thinks. Saving your money for campaigns, candidates or big electoral groups might feel like the most ‘effective’ - but it’s not setting the scene for the other 10 months of the year when average Americans aren’t thinking about elections. Do you think right-leaning billionaires blink twice before writing a massive check to a creator or influencer? No! They understand that convincing people to believe in a more right-leaning worldview is going to require many touch points for a long, likely indefinite, period of time. Play the long game, they’ve been doing it for decades.

Engaged progressive staffers and voters, we have a LOT to learn.

Listen to at least one right-leaning podcast (not just Fox News) to ground yourself in what the “other side” is saying and how they’re communicating. It will make you better at your job and more in touch. If you don’t work in politics, listening to this content will help you understand what your right-leaning or apolitical friends and family might be hearing—and equip you to connect with them and navigate long-term persuasive conversations. It might feel scary/icky/all the things at first, but you’re strong enough to listen to a podcast. We promise.

If this was helpful, consider reading our first version of this post or peruse the other learnings from UNASB. For those of you who have been a member of UNASB or have been following along, thank you for your support. Please get out there and help change the world. If you’re subscribed to this Substack, this will be our last post for a while so be sure to turn off your paid subscription for now so you aren’t charged!

xx Nina & Jordan

Co-founders, Unfortunately Not A Sound Bath

PS…

We’re going to have a meeting on September 14th to talk about the latest trends in right-wing media and how UNASB members can impact the midterms using these learnings (hint: it involves talking to people you know!). If you’re interested in joining the September call, please sign up here.